Contrastingly, many thinkers argue that paradise is not a place to be found, but a perspective to be cultivated. In John Milton’s Paradise Lost , Satan famously declares that "The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n". This philosophy posits that external circumstances—whether one is in a literal garden or a "hellish" struggle—cannot dictate one's inner peace. This internal paradise is characterized by:
However, this architecture of perfection often carries a hidden cost. Morrison notes that paradises are frequently "designed by who is not there"—by the very people who have been excluded and seek to create their own boundaries. This suggests that the foundation of any paradise is often built on the exclusion of others, turning a dream of inclusion into a reality of segregation. Paradise
: Remaining in possession of one's "inner life" regardless of physical isolation or age. Contrastingly, many thinkers argue that paradise is not
: The understanding that joys and sorrows are the "real" heaven and hell coexisting on earth. The Paradox of Preservation This internal paradise is characterized by: However, this
At its core, the concept of paradise is built on the human desire for a "Utopia," an imagined state where everything is perfect. This pursuit often involves the creation of a sanctuary that is physically or socially isolated from the perceived "darkness" of the outside world. For example, in Toni Morrison’s novel Paradise , characters seek solace in an all-Black town called Ruby, believing that total isolation from racial conflict will yield a heavenly existence.