In Book Two, Raphael actually begins to talk about what he views of Utopia. He starts to go into the "history" and geography of the perfect world. Basically, he describes the living conditions of the people which weren't as bad seeing as everyone was taught the same, necessary agricultural skills which lead to a surplus in food that made the people more generous with what they traded.
The circular island surrounded by many bodies of water had fifty four cities which shared many things in common. They spoke the same language, had the same customs and laws as well as practically the same format or layout to make it easier to navigate through/around. Since the island was surrounded by many bodies of water, trade was easily accessible for those who knew the waterways. Amaurot was the the capital of the island which was located right in the center of it all.
If you were to compare the idea of a utopia in More's point of view to the kind of world we actually live in today, you'd realize that there are many differences. For example, in this utopia created by More, the Utopians worked only six hours a day, slept for eight hours and were able to eat and relax or do what they pleased with the remaining time. There are no beggars, religious laws, or guilds to keep everything somewhat organized such as items and goods. Each city is divided into four quarters with the marketplaces in the center and six thousand houses surrounding it. The utopia is not a money or barter economy because there is simply "plenty of everything."
Knowing what we know about this utopia created by More and the kind of civilization we live in now, which place would you prefer to live and why?
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"Amaurot was the the capital of the island which was located right in the center of it all"
ReplyDeleteIt was also called Aircastle which I related to the theme of "air" that I found in the dystopia classic novel...1984, ie. Cloud Fortress
If I had to choose a place to live in it would probably be in the civilization I am in now. If I were brought up in the Utopian civilization... then most likely in Utopia. I know a fact that I learned about the Amish. All Amish at 18 get to choose whether to stay with the Amish way of life or go in to the "real world". Most of them stay Amish way of life...its what they know and are used to. No one likes to give up a habit or ritual.