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Critical analysis of Thomas More's utopia
Critical analysis of Thomas More's utopia
Critical analysis of Thomas More's utopia
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The idea of a utopia is one which has spanned many millennia. The first example of a utopia was the Garden of Eden, and since then mankind has endeavored to reach this perfect existence, a world without problems, where everyone can abide in peace. Just the word ‘Utopia’ summons up a whole assemblage of images, images which differ from person to person. This is why the concept of a utopia has been so tossed around, because no one can truly say what a utopia is. From Plato's republic in 380BC right up to the modern day, literally hundreds of books have been written, and movies made, all which give differing opinions on what is the perfect world. It is impossible for one person to try to comprehend what would be the perfect utopia in which every person would be happy, so we must consider that perhaps the utopias written about are not meant for the multitudes, but are only supposed to exist in the minds of those who create them. This means that what might be a utopia for one person, may be a dystopia for another, this is because the laws, policies religious beliefs and social issues within any given utopia, whilst they seem fair to the creator, may be completely intolerable to everyone else.
Firstly though, we must actually consider what a utopia actually is. Thomas more describes his utopia as being an ordinary place, with normal lands and creatures. But his utopia was created by people, and the laws by which they live, which provide everything that people need to survive, as long as they abide by the laws which are plentiful and strict. This type of utopia is basically communist, where everyone is equal. In this utopian society, there is no money, this means that no one person can feel superior because of wealth, and no one ...
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...nd thought about, and there is much conjecture about them, a utopia, regardless of what the dictionary says, cannot truly be defined. Its philosophy can be defined, that is, a perfect state, but no-one has been able to create a utopia that everyone regards as perfect, they have only been able to describe a place that they regard as perfect. That is the essence of utopias, they are not intended to ever actually exist, but are a criterion towards which people are supposed to aim, to grow, to change, to try and reach true perfection where everyone can exist in bliss, almost every society in history has had some idea of this heaven, the Vikings had nirvana, Christians have heaven and Buddhists have their pure spiritual state. Throughout history people have aimed towards this perfection and will continue to do so until either it is reached, or human life ceases to exist.
In Utopia, a perfect society exists in which everybody has a vocation that creates a corporate vocation making a perfect society. Utopia means "no place." This meaning can be easily comprehended because there is no such thing as a perfect society. So it wouldn't exist anywhere, no place. In Thomas More's utopian society, everyone has a purpose to add to the community's vocation, which is how the private and corporate vocations are linked together. Also in this utopian society, people live together in harmony. This is because every person needs the next person to survive.
Imagine a place where everything is perfect. There is a place where there is no warfare, where all. All politics, laws, customs, and traditions are respected. A place where there is sameness among all the citizens and everyone is content and happy. This place would be considered a utopia.
The definition of a utopia is an imagined place or state in which everything is perfect. In book four of Gulliver’s travels Gulliver discovers a group of people called the Houyhnhnms and the group displays qualities of a possible utopia. The Houyhnhnms are very rational in their thinking, and try their best to stay away from entertainment and vanity. However the Houyhnhnms could not be considered creators of a utopia because they emphasized unrealistic rules and because of their treatment of the Yahoo people within their society. Instead it is the Lilliputians people who display the most signs of a potential utopia in Gulliver’s Travels.
What is a utopia? Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary defines _utopia_ as "an imaginary and indefinitely remote place; a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, gov-ernment, and social conditions; *an impractical scheme for social improvement."* In _Brave New World_ Aldous Huxley creates a _dystopia_ (which Webster defines as "an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives") by predicting a pos-sible _utopia_ after many generations. Aldous Huxley analyzes how the utopia degenerated from its original intent into a terrible dystopia. In this essay I will discuss some aspects of this dystopia and relate to Aldous Huxley's dystopian vision.
First, the people of More's Utopia have a complex communism compared to our modern neo-fascist culture. In Utopia, the government owns the business world. The government forces men to work the land in two-year stints. In modern society, the government does not own the economy but it does control the economy. The government does not make men be farmers but it does tell farmers how much to grow. Furthermore, it penalizes those who disobey its command.
The Utopia Reader defines the word utopia as “a nonexistent society described in detail and normally located in time and space.” (p.1) I would best define utopia as a fictional dream- paradise land where everything is peaceful, perfect and all runs smoothly. There is no crime disease, or pain. People are happy, kind and fair and have each other’s best
One of the various issues that has been an essential part of ethical and legal debate, over the history leaders tried to make Utopia. Every story ends for a reason and death brings an end to an each individual's dreams. Although the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, aims at presenting an evidently best and perfect world, the anxiety of freedom is abandoned. Basically, the point of Utopia is that it's an impression of 'ideal worlds'. What I believe, the right name ‘Utopia’ itself means "No-place" in this world. Even if we have perfect world; there is always one person who feels that there is something is missing. We are human we are born naturally with imperfection. I believe we are imperfect, utopia is non-existed land and author proves in his work. God has made everything for purpose we cannot do what we want because God has given brains to humans, which makes them unique which leads to think different, act and react different.
To begin, an overview of utopian history is needed. The utopian lineage is as old as the Earth itself. Specifically, it started in the Garden of Eden, which is considered the ultimate utopia. After that, the next major utopia is described in Plato’s The Republic. According to Plato, as along as the major people classes live justly with one another, the overall society will be in harmony. Next published was Thomas More’s Utopia.
Everyone is probably not going to live in perfect world, however perfection is the best people can do at that point in time, yet a utopia is a paradise that looks as if humans can never seem to maintain and accomplish in life
The dictionary definition of utopia is “a theoretical "perfect" realm, in which everyone is content, where things get done well by people who are happy to do them, and where all the problems which have plagued our world for millennia no longer apply.” My definition of utopia is a “world” where everything is perfect and there are no issues or conflicts of any kind. Utopias also usually turn into dystopias. The dictionary definition of dystopia is “an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.” My definition of a dystopia is a “place” where there is only chaos and disorder.
Ever since humans have conquered or established a society, their imperative duty is to try to create a utopian environment. All you can think about in its perfect sense, no mistakes, just everything impeccable. Unfortunately, one can only dream. In which as we are humans, we make mistakes and therefore defeats the meaning of a utopia, and converts into a dystopia. The absolute contrary to what we desire. It all starts with one person sharing their perfect ideas, and illuminating a light to a darkness that every other person has. That light creates hope and the people follow that person in which then over time, gets consumed by some emotion or purpose and thinks of themselves and puts everybody else at ruins, creating a world in which those people wish they never pursued those ideas.
... world. Everyone would live, act, and look the same in this society. I don’t agree with Plato’s or Mores theory because I don’t think a person should work and achieve a nice home and have to switch houses with someone that might not have a nice as place as what I had. I agree with Lucian because if you work harder than someone else then shouldn’t get the same amount of money as them. Whatever job they do is how much money they should get not everyone gets the same amount. People could not think for their selves because it was dictated to them. After figuring out about this society, they are not perfect. They have some good things in their society like you don’t have to pay for anything or you go to the hospital without any fees or copays. In the end, Utopia will always be a different society that everyone would want to live in but hate it when they did. (More, 2011)
Utopia is a depiction of a semi-ideal society and all of the criticism of European society that ideal represents, and it is a explanation on itself and its themes. The book can at times be inconsistent, just as More himself could: a man who preached religious toleration and logically mistreated Protestants, decides to remain a Christian rather than enter the priesthood but ultimately died a willing victim for his faith. Ultimately, Utopia is a book that, like More, attempted to navigate a course through the ideal and the real, between a want to create perfection and the practical understanding that perfection, given the imperfection of mankind, is impossible.
Each person has their own vision of utopia. Utopia means an ideal state, a paradise, a land of enchantment. It has been a central part of the history of ideas in Western Civilization. Philosophers and writers continue to imagine and conceive plans for an ideal state even today. They use models of ideal government to express their ideas on contemporary issues and political conditions. Man has never of comparing the real and ideal, actuality and dream, and the stark facts of human condition and hypothetical versions of optimum life and government.
To explore the concepts of Utopian theory, both political and social, one must first engender a concrete definition of what Utopia means. Sir Thomas More, the original creator of the term Utopia, signifies it as “no place”. However, More’s clever play on words seems ultimately to suggest that ”no place” is just no place right now. That is to say that Utopia is “an ideal place that does not exist in reality” yet (Murfin and Ray 529).