December 23, 2006

Book 55: Utopia

Utopia
Thomas More

I went into this book thinking that it would be somewhat difficult to stumble through, which shows how much I knew about it. Despite the fact that I flew through it, and it was rather short, I enjoyed it a lot. It is certainly a radical departure from both traditional philosophers (ahem, Plato) and modern idealogues. It is no wonder More was sent to the tower; in Utopia he has created a, well, utopian alter-universe, a land that has solved the problems of politics and lives quite well.

More's story is set out in three main parts. Firstly, he frames the description of Utopia by recording it as the messenger between an intrepid explorer and the public at large. Secondly, there is a prologue of sorts, where More recounts his experiences with the narrator and unveils some aspects of his personality. From my own experience, I assume this was a popular tactic with More's sixteenth-century contemporaries; they all seem to want realistic credibility. In an age where America had just been discovered, I can see the intrigue that would naturally follow a seemingly honest description of such a land as More's Utopia. I believe that the presentation of the book as a valid description of a real foreign land adds to its general message and ultimately helps More convey what he wants about modern British society. More, however, is not limited to mere framing devices when criticizing his own society. The entire premise of Book 1 is an argument between the explorer and More regarding punishment of theivery and the morality/usefulness of entering the service of princes and kings. Such matters were certainly of much relevance to the intelligentsia who would be reading More's book around the time it was published.

The meat of the book is its second book, which is the description of Utopia. I had assumed that this description would be fanciful and completely unbelievable; but where I expected chocolate-flowing rivers and a land of rainbows, I found a society whose practices were reasonable and practical. It is because of its plausibility that Utopia must be taken in stride, as a philisophical treatise and not as a flight of fancy. More painstakingly describes a society that has sworn off money, greed, and vice, making many a (painfully obvious) jab at Western society along the way. Strangely, and this may be because I agree with him, More manages to remain fresh and interesting and never becomes redundant or satirical for the sake of being a rebel. Though this may be more a testament to his historical context than his bravery, the mere fact that he managed to produce such a scathing critique of monetary society is impressive, as is the fact that he was ultimately martyred for his contempt of British political norms.

What is most intriguing about More's book, however, is its modern relevance. More's society is far from flawless, but its views on money, happiness, and religion could be well adapted to our own times to produce a much better society. Perhaps most interesting is More's obvious disdain for religious zealotry, for though he does convert the people of Utopia to Christianity, they take it upon themselves to execute a zealot. The reason? He doesn't contribute to the general happiness because he makes people feel bad about themselves, and it is a longstanding law on the island that no man should be made to feel inferior because of his religion, or lack thereof.

There is much jam-packed into this tiny morsel of a book. The only major omission from the work that I have noticed is a distinct lack of plot, which further cements Utopia's status as a philisophical tract rather than a novel. And yet, despite this minor inconvenience, we find that the narrator is well-developed and qualified to tell his story. Such is a testament to More's skill as a philosopher and a novelist, as is his continuing relevance to society. There is no question that, should our society adopt some of Utopia's founding principles, the world would be a better place.

Grade: A

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