Aspects of Thomas More's Utopia
Thomas More's Utopia offers a blueprint for a utopian society. It seems that there is uncertainty regarding a suitable definition of what a utopia is. In this essay, I shall be referring to More's book as Utopia, the society it depicted as Utopia and the term �utopian' in an adjectival sense to describe a type of society which has realised many of the praiseworthy social aspects exemplified in the society of Utopia. More's vision exemplified many utopian notions and there two in particular that I wish to provide critical expositions of and use to draw parallels and comparisons between fictitious Utopia and real modern day societies. Firstly I will discuss and evaluate the education system of Utopia and use it as a foundation to relate the importance of an educated citizenry in utopian planning. Secondly I wish to inquire into the nature of its citizens in an attempt to very briefly consider the compatibility of utopian ideals and human nature and expose some of the more unrealistic features of Utopian society.
What I consider, as did More, to be an imperative feature to a utopian society is a general education among its citizenry. "In Utopia, although only a limited number are privileged to pursue learning as a career, education belongs to all men and women equally" [1] . I am confident that there is a general consensus within real societies for necessity of utilitarian education among its citizens, though the societal improvements resultant of a learned citizenry are somewhat less clear, and although I maintain that a learned citizenry education would be conducive to the betterment of a society, there has not as yet been a wide scale implementation of such a society to serve as proof of its viability. Nonetheless, there is a strong inclination to believe that it would be conducive to the betterment of a society and I intend to provide some modest reasons why.
It is necessary that a society have a utilitarian education for its proper functioning. For a society to be able to function properly several fundamental requirements must be met, one of those being the provision of goods and services to its citizens. It is obvious that this provision cannot exist unless there are those in possession of the required skills. In Utopia husbandry is a science common to all citizens, and besides husbandry, "every of them learneth one or other several and particular science as his own proper craft" [2] . But this alone is inadequate support for the advocacy of a utilitarian education for every citizen, as it is quite possible that a society may be in a position where the working contributions of a portion of the population are sufficient for the sustenance of the entire society.
The education of all citizens in some particular trade and their contribution of the practically applicable skills gained to the functioning of their society helps create a social network of interdependence, which sociologists have agreed facilitates social cohesion. It helps to create a communal spirit and a feeling within each citizen of their value to their society which will strengthen their social commitment. In a society in which the burden of work falls on some or most, but not all, those who do work feel an iniquity that those who do not work share in the benefits of their labour. Such acrimony towards fellow citizens surely cannot be beneficial to utopian planning.
A noticeable advantage of the equal distribution of work, possible because of a general utilitarian education, is that it leads to more productivity and an "abundance of all things that be requisite either for the necessity or commodity of life [3] ". As a result, less work time and more recreational time for citizens will allow them to pursue things of less necessity although of value to the maintenance of a utopian society. "What time may possibly be spared from the necessary occupations and affairs of the commonwealth, all that citizens should withdraw from the bodily service to the free liberty of the mind and garnishing of the same". Overall it contributes to a more content citizenry because "or herein they suppose the felicity of this life to consist" [4] Anyone who is a working member of a society would find it hard to dispute this.
In Utopia, "they embrace chiefly the pleasures of the mind, for them they count the chiefest and most principal of all" [5] Such "education for educations sake" can be something for which all citizens strive and will develop a society on which social interaction is not dictated inequalities in education. With a Utopian view of education, "learning is valued and respected, not as an indication of one's social standing, but as a means of developing specific capacities to the fullest" [6] . If Utopia is a "product of renaissance humanism [7] ", then it is in adherence with humanistic values that all citizens be afforded an education. Also, it must be stressed, that the purpose of education is not to indicate one's social standing. It should serve as an attempt to remove social and economic classes and ultimately eliminate the opportunity for exploitation of one group by another.
But there is also less obvious utopian validity for the promotion of learnedness among citizenry. For example, striving for a greater learning can replace the pursuit of materialistic wealth, which is superfluous and can only work on the basis that there is an elite ownership, "whose luxury [is] a result of the poverty of the surrounding peasants and if poverty is to be excluded from [a utopia], then so must the ruling class' luxury" [8]
The most efficient manner with which to rid the world of corruption and crime, advises More, is to put a great emphasis on education [9] . Contrary to modern societies, prevalent education coupled with the prohibition of a monetary system, such as in Utopia, will promote reason and eliminate the corrupt exploitation of human desire. It is an inevitable consequence of human interaction there be a need to persuade others on this or that matter. In reality this persuasion is carried out by approaches such as appealing to self-interest by offering financial incentive to gain influence and being influential on account of propaganda propagating facilities. The Utopian antithesis to this corrupt way can be found in exerting influence via reasoned argument. It would be a better society in which its members can make informed choices rather than be persuaded by corrupt means. Utopian education is entrusted to priests to prevent such vices .Since the Utopians have such a strong education system, they need very few laws and the laws that do exist are subject only to the most obvious and easiest interpretation. Most sociologists would agree with More that education breeds morality and virtue [10]
A fundamental requirement for a society if it is to be deemed utopian, is that the basic needs of every citizen are met and that every member is content, or content to the greatest level possible. The Utopian ideals have eluded real societies, and one point often made is that some of the ideals of Utopian society do not have sufficient contact with reality. It can hardly be disputed that an integral component of any society is its citizens. So an insight into what may characterize a utopia is the idiosyncrasies of it citizens. More does not provide a detailed delineation of the nature of the citizens of Utopia, though it is certain that they would be considerably different from the citizens of real societies. Visions of ideal utopian communities and ways of living have naturally informed many political platforms although the conceptions of human nature that they imply are usually highly simplistic [11] . If there is one aspect of Utopia that becomes apparent, it is the uniformity of its citizenry, drab people devoid of desire. As it has been many generations since King Utopus constructed this brilliant society, one is left to wonder whether the Utopian system has over the generations eradicated what were once inherent aspects of human nature that are obstacles to a real utopia.
One crucial issue for the sustainable development of a society, or an entire race for that matter, is the issue of population control, a prudent necessity. In Utopia, if any family grows too large, the surplus children are moved into another family. If a town grows too large, some of its inhabitants are moved into another town. If all the towns are too large, some of the inhabitants are moved into another town. If all the towns are too large, a new town is built on waste land. Nothing is said as to what is to be done when all the waste land is used up, though that is not of prime concern. What is of prime concern is the first step taken towards population control. The impersonal manner in which surplus children are moved into another family implies that the citizens of Utopia prioritise the rational allocation of citizens in proportionately equal groups over any sentiment they may feel towards familial relations. In fact, the term �family' it is not used to refer to the group of people within an intermediate family, but as a group of people living in a communal household. One could even presume that the citizens of Utopia do not even possess any particular sentiment towards their biological relations that is any different to what they would feel towards the communal �family'. In actuality, this fictitious familial detachment exhibited by the citizens of Utopia is difficult to reconcile with human nature. It has turned out to be the case that people will elect to prioritise their relations with kin rather than the broader "social family".
The citizens of Utopia are untainted by corrupting influence of private property and materialistic desires. Of greater significance is their perspective on humankind, and their position within their society, a prevailing view ingrained within their society. There are two points I wish to make concerning the attitudes and perspectives held by the citizens of Utopia. Exterior governmental enforced order, although it may seem speciously effective, will not achieve the desired outcome. The demarcation of a controlling authority and oppressed or acquiescing subjects, or in modern day democracies a discontent and subversive people, will not achieve the essence of a utopian society. It is exemplified in Utopia that an ethos must pervade the citizenry to strive for the common good of the society and that there be "instead of tyranny and exaction, the willing collaboration and free consent of all" [12] . It is true that they have political authorities in Utopia, though they are elected to represent the public will and are delegated to act in the best interests of the society, a commitment to which they actually adhere.
One obvious conclusive indication that a utopian society has been firmly established, is when its citizens are without a vexing social conscience and oblivious to any supposition of prior societal conflict, something which could be said to be true of Utopians. It is not that they are wicked people, just that there are no problematic aspects of their society on which they have cause to exercise a social conscience. This way, which to us seems like oblivion, is instilled in them as they are raised in a harmonious, autonomous social system. The converse is true of members of modern day Western societies. Confronted with a plethora of social quandaries to provoke their conscience, anyone free of social conscience, merely chooses not to acknowledge them.
The Utopia must be understood as an argument in favour of the principles of peace, equality and justice. It is apparent that "all Utopian institutions are founded on reason" [13] , something that must be achieved through education. In this essay several reasons were offered for the utopian validity of education. The vision of a perfect society expounded in Utopia is problematic, for it may require an unrealistic degree of conformity and an austerity of it citizenry. The citizens of Utopia may be too perfect to try to hold a realistic expectation that they be an archetypal citizenry, a model for any real citizens. They seem to be the product of a Utopia society that was constructed in some unspecified way. In reality, a change in the attitudes of people must precede the planning of a utopian society; it is absurd to expect a perfect citizenry to be the product of some magically instilled perfect society. If there is one crux of utopian ideology, it is that the "private ownership and enriching of a few at the expense of the many", must be eradicated to pave way for a "communal life where an equal share of plenty comes to the lot of all" [14] . It must be admitted, however, that life in More's Utopia, as in most others, would be, intolerably dull. Diversity is essential to happiness, and in Utopia there is hardly any. This could be considered a defect of all planned social systems, actual as well as imaginary.
References
[1] Donner, H.W., Introduction To Utopia, (Sweeden, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1945), p.38.
[2] More, Thomas, Utopia, [Translated into English from Latin by Ralph Robynson) (New York, The Heritage Press, 1935, (First Published in 15?? In Latin,) p.73.
[3] Ibid., p. 76.
[4] Ibid., p. 80.
[5] Ibid., Utopia.
[6] Kleine, Jason Hans, "Socialism in the Utopia of Sir Thomas More" accessed at http://www.d-holiday.com/tmore/socialism.htm on 2/9/02
[7] Logan, George M, The Meaning of More's Utopia, (Princeton, N.J, Princeton University Press, 1983). p. 254.
[8] Kleine, Jason Hans, "Socialism in the Utopia of Sir Thomas More"
[9] Donner, H.W., Introduction To Utopia, (Sweeden, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1945), p.38.
[10] Kleine, Jason Hans, "Socialism in the Utopia of Sir Thomas More"
[11] Blackburn, Simon, Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (, Oxford University Press, 1994) [Entry on Utopia].
[12] Donner, Introduction To Utopia, p. 54.
[13] Donner, Introduction To Utopia, p. 75.
[14] Donner, Introduction To Utopia, p. 75.