The word Utopia conjures up images of a perfect society, a picture of a peaceful, enviable place that we can only visit in our dreams.
Utopia, particularly in our modern day vocabulary has become synonymous with perfection, and with that which is ideal yet unattainable. More’s work created such an impact within the literary world that his creation, ‘Utopia’ will always be used to name our ideal society. What is interesting though is that few people question More’s Utopia in great detail. Was it More’s intention to create a literary masterpiece and have people believe that his book was a representation of his own ideal society? This question has been the cause of numerous debates. What were More’s intentions in writing Utopia? It is in this paper that I will explore and discover an answer to this question, asking you along the way, would you like to live in such a place as Utopia?
It is believed by many people that More’s work is satirical that Utopia is a vehicle in which he speaks openly about, for example, female priests (an absurd idea in the sixteenth century), an idea which although a reality in Utopia, was ‘ridiculous’ in More’s England. Yes, we could argue that today the idea of a female priest is a perfectly sound concept, so perhaps Utopia is a sound society? Perhaps more so than it was when More was writing? More’s intentions when writing Utopia are still unknown and open for interpretation.
A particularly interesting part of Utopia, and a feature of the book which raises many relevant ideas in today’s world, is the abstract in question. The abstract is useful because it sums up Utopia in a few sentences. In short, More’s Utopia there is no time to waste in idle pursuits. Work is at the centre of everyone’s lives, as is the community spirit. Equality is key to maintaining social harmony, and a feeling that there are equal opportunities. There is no private ownership on Utopia and farming is seen to contribute most to the economy, because of this every able bodied person receives full training and encouragement in this field. Adultery is a punishable offence, and all religious beliefs systems can exist in peace.
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