What Role Does Iron Play In A Utopian Society

From the American Revolution to independence movements in Latin America, the forming a commonwealth free of vice, tyranny, and inequality has always been one of man’s greatest intentions. In this commonwealth, everyone’s needs are met, society is free of all hierarchies, and everyone works for the common good. However, history has proved that this commonwealth can never truly exist. On a rudimentary level, it is impossible for any large group to properly function without someone or a group of people creating and enforcing the necessary laws and customs. On a deeper level, it seems impossible to eschew avarice, inequality, war, and many other aspects commonwealths face. Sir Thomas More, a lawyer, statesman, and philosopher imagined this perfect

Instead of being highly regarded, gold and silver are replaced by iron. One reason for this is because unlike other precious metals, iron can be used practically and contributes to the greater good for all Utopians. While this practice devalues gold and silver, it also reasserts the notion that everything that is done, and everything that exists in Utopian society has to be beneficial for all of society. Iron is only seen as more precious because Utopians can use it for building and various other works related duties. This is a lot different compared to gold and silver, which only lead to greed and are useless in a moneyless economy. To further their campaign against gold and silver, Utopians’ “chamber pots and all their humblest vessels…are made of gold and silver” which ultimately conditions Utopians to value those metals even less (More 55). In Utopia, slaves and criminals wear gold and silver as a sign of their status in society, which only adds to the peoples’ hatred for the metals. Though the tactics seem drastic, they are not without

However, as Hythloday discusses the occupations of Utopians, readers are given a glimpse of what life is really like for Utopian women. Since communal living is an essential element of Utopian society, every night when dining halls are filled, slaves are assigned to all of the dirty and heavy work, while Utopian women complete all of the domestic work. In addition to completing all of the cooking and other domestic duties, during dinner, women sit “on the outside, so that if a woman has a sudden qualm or pain…she may get up without disturbing the others…” which, like modern societies, pigeonhole women into a specific niche of society as the caretakers (51). Aside from the domestic roles women are assigned to, there greater examples of the lack of equality for women that is present in this patriarchal