A newly launched book, The Death of Utopia: Karl Popper and the Fall of Maoist Ideology in the Philippines, argues that no political ideology or vision of a perfect society can justify the loss of human life, positioning itself as a contribution to the country's discourse on peace, democracy and critical thinking.

The book was formally launched with the support of National Security Adviser Eduardo S.L. Oban Jr. and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., who both emphasized the role of ideas and education in countering extremism and promoting lasting peace.

Oban described the publication as "a timely and critical contribution" that deepens public understanding of long-standing insurgency and ideological conflict.

He said the work serves "not just as information, but as a powerful instrument for education and informed action," adding that addressing radicalization goes beyond security measures and is closely linked to the country's identity, history and aspirations.

Torres, meanwhile, called the launch "an important intellectual movement centered on peace, democracy, and resilience."

"Truth and critical thinking are far more powerful than weapons in countering extremism, online radicalization, and disinformation," he said, stressing that the real struggle takes place "in the minds and hearts of Filipinos."

Author Dr. Sy Egco described the book as his contribution to academic freedom and the exchange of ideas in a democratic society.

"No book is finished. No book is perfect. But the ideas I presented intend to create and stir critical thinking as they challenge directly the necessity of spilling blood in the pursuit of an imagined utopia. An idea that requires killing and dying is definitely a bad idea," Egco said.

Anchored on the philosophy of Karl Popper, particularly his critique of historicism and defense of the Open Society, the book argues that theories claiming to predict the inevitable course of history are forms of prophecy rather than science.

Instead of violent revolution, it advocates "Popperian activism," or piecemeal social engineering, where reforms are introduced gradually, guided by evidence, rational criticism and peaceful dissent.

At its core, the book advances a single thesis: no ideology, political cause or promise of a perfect future is ever worth the sacrifice of a single human life.