According to encyclopedia Britannica, “an ideal commonwealth whose inhabitants exist under seemingly perfect conditions” – these “perfect” conditions comprise of financial, political, humanitarian and ethical aspects. Therefore, utopia is utopia is an ideal commonwealth whose inhabitants exist under seemingly perfect conditions. It is used to denote a visionary reform that tends to be impossibly idealistic. Another definition of Utopia is given by Oxford Dictionary, “Imaginary place or state of in things which every thing seems to be perfect.”
Sir Thomas More is very much known for his work on Utopia. His classical work on Utopia is a satire on life towards the fictitious islands of Utopia. Here he showed that the interest of an individual belonging to the island is subordinate to those of the society at large. He produced beautiful fantasy where humanity and equality is at its highest peek where love prevails for all and no place of hatred, dishonesty and no evils exist in the society. According to him, all people must “do some work, universal education and religious toleration are practiced, and all land is owned in common.” Basically these conditions are in contrast to the English society of that time. The society of England in that era was a not at harmony and full of chaos. There was a lot of gender discrimination as well as class differences. The working class and the women were treated as an outcast with in the society and no matter how hardworking they were, they never got just rewards to their hard works. So the society lack self harmony as well as an integrated society as well as many other key elements that was produced in the literary imaginary utopian world of More.
Consequently the literary imaginary of utopia also was a symbol introducing a harmonized society including environment as an integrated totality with a balance of the three concepts of Harmony with in the society as well as harmony with the self, balance between the society and nature, the integration of the individuals into the society as well as the power of reason to order and understand the world and at last the fundamental communal nature of human beings. These were the elements he imagined and believed to be in a society which is an ideal state where the evils of any society has no place to exist.
Therefore, utopia of Thomas More, “is an ideal state where the evils all is ordered for the best for humanity as a whole and where the evils of society, such as poverty and misery, have been eliminated . Nonetheless this description of Utopia sets place for criticism against the evils of any society as every society possess such evils where the ratio and intensity of evilness varies from society to society. This classic piece of More, is also an inspirational force to bring revolutionary reforms to the contemporary society with out directing the means and purpose of effectiveness to it. Thus it is more inspirational then practical in approach.
More’s utopia lacks classes, the working style was presented on the basis of equality providing same rights to all. However, an obligation for all people to work for minimum six hours a day is presented with the idea that every person has different kind of skills and expertise and should give the best of it. However, the working hour is negotiated by keeping in mind the nature of the work that how much hard work it demands as compared to those which does not need much physical work Either it is an agricultural society or any other form, balance is maintained in not only the working hours and rights but also equality was assured in the clothing as well. They use to wear very simple cloths so all can feel same and were easy to afford for all members of the society. Apart from this the utopians presented by More use to change their residence every ten years and also eat together at the mess halls. This was to ensure equality and balance and to give all the chance to enjoy life on basis of equality. As he says, “Since there is very little distinction in occupation, dress, lodging, riches, or use of free time, pride is almost non-existent in Utopia.”
Moreover, the government like caring for the sick, travel, marriage as well as other social and economic activities, very carefully supervises the various activities. It was strictly maintained that people get complete security in there social as well as economic rights as well as all other rights. Love is the key spread in the utopian society where good is done due to the natural environment and humanity is best exercised by all means. “Though they are faithful and persuaded to the truths of their religion nonetheless they would abandon it for one that could be proved better.” So he believed to create such an environment, which due to its very nature bind the society with love and develop harmony and balance in the society.
Utopians has a transparent distinction to the other nations and societies as “Utopia to other nations, as in other nations, women generally do not work, and neither do priests or rich men and their families. When much of the population is idle, those people that do work need to work much harder in order to support those that don’t” therefore, in Utopia less work is needed as every thing is equally shared as well as maintenance and repairs are always made in the interest of all.
Thomas More’s Utopia is an imaginary world set against the evils of the contemporary society where a balance is created in the economic, social as well as religious aspect of life. But the shortcoming here is the utopians have a life that is self-limited. Analyzing the whole idea of More’s Utopia, a question comes to our mind that is the idea of “self-limited” wants desirable or feasible? It confuses our understanding as the world of Utopia is full of imagination and fantasies and life seems to be very much harmonized, and a balance is maintained in all the aspects of life among all the people of the society. But practically it cannot be desirable to live a life with self-limited wants because in utopia there is not much awareness and realization of the difference of inner qualities of every person and the many other creative and positive aspects of real life as well as the other economic benefits one can make by its personal efforts and mental skills. So one cannot limit the inner wants to itself and live for long maintaining the balance, equality and harmony within the society. No one can restrict the inner wants for long and then it is obvious that when people start expressing their inner desires and start struggling to achieve their inner wants then the whole idea of societal balance, equality and harmony prevailing under the utopian island will come to its end. Therefore, living a life that is self limited to is just a dream not practically desirable.
