Remembering Societal Perfection as Envisioned by Thomas More in Utopia (1516)
Consider
here the fictional society of perfection described by Thomas More in Utopia.
The
fictional society extolled was revealed by one Raphael, an acquaintance of
More’s friend, the diplomat Peter Giles, in an excursion that More and Giles
took to Antwerp, Belgium. Raphael was along on the 1497 voyage of Amerigo
Vespucci before at one point venturing forth from the main group with his own
party, discovering among other peoples the highly admirable Utopians.
The island
of Utopia is 200 miles long and rather circular, the width being about the same
distance of 200 miles. The country was established by a King Utopus
(also known as Abraxas).
There is
no private property in Utopia. Each citizen moves to a new house
every ten years. People rarely cook main meals but rather
share meals in a common mess hall with those in their same group of 30
households; those households are led by an official known as a
syphogrant or phylarch, with every group of ten phylarchs having administrative
superiors known as a chief phylarch (or tranibor), The syhphogrants
number 200 in all; these select a prince (monarch) as the chief
ruler of Utopia. Three senators from each city gather in a Senate
that apparently is the only legislative body. Laws are few and clear
enough that those of the literate populace, devoted to and delighted in
learning, are able to represent themselves in any of the few legal cases,
including those limited cases of criminal contravention of the
law: There are no lawyers.
The
people, both women and men, are engaged vocationally mainly in agriculture but
each person also specializes in a trade; men dominate in the trades
requiring physical strength, with women tending to pursue traditionally
feminine occupations in the production of textiles and other household
goods. The people make no fuss over clothing, wearing loose-fitting
garments (mostly of leather) that are durable, lasting for approximately seven
years.
Utopian
society is highly patriarchal. Reference to governmental
organization implies exclusive leadership by men. Men clearly head
the households. Premarital sexual relations are discouraged and even
punished by law, for men as well as women. Marriages are
monogamous. Divorce is rare, occurring mainly in the case of
adultery and only very seldom because of mutual discontent with the marital
union. A first case of adultery is severely penalized; any
second case is punished by death.
People of
Utopia are eager readers and learners who before contact with Raphael and his
party had come to many of the same philosophical conclusions as the
Greeks; they avidly responded intellectually to the philosophical
ideas of Plato and especially Aristotle; the historical accounts of Thucydides
and Herodotus; the medical treatises of Galen and
Hippocrates; and to natural scientists such as Theophrastus (On
Plants); brought by Raphael and the others.
Those of
Utopia take great care in matters of nutrition and health, with an emphasis on
prevention. Euthanasia is encouraged and when selected by the
gravely ill person supported with comforting environments at the end of life.
Good
citizenship and behavior are cultivated by intellectually stimulating education
and vigorous discussion of public affairs and morality. Public
honors are extended to and statues are built honoring paragons.
Prevention
over intervention is emphasized in foreign affairs, as well. War is
studiously avoided but all male citizens are prepared to serve as soldiers as
necessary, although if war looms service is voluntary until the numbers
required demand conscription. To avoid the latter circumstance,
Utopians employ mercenaries, especially those drawn from a particularly
ferocious people known as the Zapoletes. The Utopians go to
war only if their well-fortified island is attacked or if other peoples request
their assistance in deposing a tyrant; in repelling an unwarranted
invasion; or for other morally compelling reasons.
Religion
of the Utopians before the arrival of Raphael and group included those who were
animists or who worshipped legendary heroes, but most worshipped a Supreme
Deity or Divine Nature named Mithra. Many Utopians were receptive to
Christianity, recognizing many similarities between their original theism and
the religion brought by Raphael and crew. Different religions are
tolerated as long as a paramount deity and an afterlife are
recognized. Those who are given to lives dominated by good works and
vigorous labor are admired, as is the monastic life of meditative
devotion. Each city has thirteen priests who preside over services
and consider an important responsibility the cultivation
of character in male children. Utopian religion incudes
no animal sacrifice. Incense is utilized and rituals are performed
for creating an atmosphere of spirituality and holy
solemnity. Priests may marry; women may serve as priests but tend to
do so only if elderly or widowed. The first and last days of the
month are observed as holidays of reflection on events and behaviors of the
month past and contemplation of the best moral responses and productive
activities in the month ahead. The last day of the month also
includes spiritual confession to priests, but also by wives to their husbands
and children to their parents.
Though
room for individual preferences and talents abides, the collective spirit
dominates life on Utopia. At the end of More’s book, Raphael extols
the economically egalitarian ideal and the unmonetized economy of the Utopians
and discusses at length the multifaceted harm caused by the economic equality
and the pursuit of money prevailing in Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment