Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed

Abstract

The text examines how state projects to impose legibility and simplicity on societies have often failed to improve the human condition. It focuses on three areas: high-modernist city planning, the social engineering of rural settlement, and the commodification of agriculture. The text argues that these projects have often led to unintended consequences, such as social dislocation, environmental degradation, and the loss of traditional knowledge. The work concludes by highlighting the importance of local knowledge and the need for a more nuanced approach to development. – AI-generated abstract.