"Utopia" was written by Thomas More in 1516, when on the eve of the Reformation social conflicts were accumulating. This work became very successful and initiated a literary tradition called the utopian novel, which attempts to depict a perfect human society. The particular society of "Utopia" can be analyzed from different perspectives, and the way it was conceived by the author may suggest that in his work More provided the culmination of the humanistic rational thought, justified communal society, and even tried to advance values of Christianity.
But all these specific motives behind the book creation should not distract us from its main message, namely that of offering to readers of a picture of a society based on such laws that promote justice and happiness. More offers so many details about the society of Utopia that we can vividly imagine the life of its inhabitants. Thus, readers can hardly avoid comparisons and analogies between the book and our society, and in many cases try to place themselves in the Utopian environment. I did the same thing, and tried to imagine whether I would like to live in the land of Utopia.
Let me share my thoughts on this matter.First of all, I feel that my personal opinion (and I am sure opinions of other people as well) about the appropriateness of Utopian lifestyle are to a large degree colored by the basic characteristics of our modern society, and above all by its individualistic values. As More points out, in Utopia ". . . they share everything equally . . ." (More 1516). This maxim may at times contradict values of liberalism as one of the fundamental principles of modernity.
Indeed, the majority of people used to the individualistic values of modern societies would be scared away by the standardized, measured, and rational to the extreme way of life in Utopia, where even such an important from the modern point of view mode of personal distinction as fashion is absent, and where: "Throughout the island they wear the same sort of clothes without any other distinction, except what is necessary to distinguish the two sexes, and the married and unmarried" (More 1516).
Moreover, even the order of day of Utopians is in most aspects precisely scheduled, so that the Utopians have fixed work hours, breaks for dinner, and eight hours of sleep every day. All in all, they have "no hiding places; no spots for secret meetings" (More 1516). Their sexual lives are limited as well, so that on one hand a violation of social prescriptions may result in a person becoming an outcast deprived of the right of marriage, and on the other hand there is normally no way out of marriage once it has been concluded.
Limitations are at times shocking, and while I can understand that for Thomas More they might easily seem as a better condition in contrast to social difficulties and inequalities of his time, they definitely do not really appeal to me. I believe that life in such a regulated environment may soon assume signs of a mechanism whose working parts, i.e. people accustomed to unquestioned fulfillment of their roles, become tools in hands of those who operate the mechanism, thus creating a potential for a turn towards totalitarianism.
Still, nowadays it is not argued that More thought of Utopia as of a completely ideal society, but rather constructed pragmatic Utopia as a criticism of the contemporary Europe. Under this view, we may view the book as an attempt to contrast the real and the ideal, which may help us better understand inborn drawbacks of humankind. In this light, people of Utopia are endowed with unique qualities which modern societies often lack - nobleness and deep philosophical insight, like for example is the case with their scorn of the artificially increased value of gold and silver and their respect of the true value of simple gifts of nature like water, earth, and sun.
At the same time, the Utopians seem to be very knowledgeable of human psychology, and are very careful in their choice of true pleasures to be pursued in life: "They think, therefore, none of those pleasures is to be valued any further than as it is necessary; yet they rejoice in them" (More 1516). They also pay due attention to the importance of the individual health of every citizen "so that now they almost universally agree that health is the greatest of all bodily pleasures" (More 1516). In this respect, I would really like to live in a society that would adopt such an approach towards our environment and personal well-being based not on prescriptions, but rather on a conformity to common sense.
References:More, Thomas. Utopia, 1516. Internet Modern History Sourcebook. 10 October 2005http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/thomasmore-utopia.html.
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