The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Utopia as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions, and an impractical scheme for social improvement.
There’s quite literally no place like utopia. In 1516, English humanist Sir Thomas More published a book titled Utopia, which compared social and economic conditions in Europe with those of an ideal society on an imaginary island located off the coast of the Americas. More wanted to imply that the perfect conditions on his fictional island could never really exist, so he called it “Utopia,” a name he created by combining the Greek words ou (“not, no”) and topos (“place”). The earliest generic use of utopia was for an imaginary and indefinitely remote place. The current use of utopia, referring to an ideal place or society, was inspired by More’s description of Utopia’s perfection.
More’s use of the term “Utopia” was intended to show how people could live in peace and happiness if they did what he thought was right.
Utopias are often discussed as aspirational goals for society, and to criticize how current societies work. Utopian and utopianism are also terms used to describe visionary reform that is often impossibly idealistic. Perfection is impossible because everybody has different ideas in which they believe; a utopia would have to emerge from a combination of them all.
There is no society then or now where institutions and policies are entirely governed by reason. The order and dignity of such a state was intended to provide a notable contrast with the unreasonable polity of Christian Europe, divided by self-interest and greed for power and riches. Sound familiar?
As a person who believes that all people are equal and should have a place at the table, the current environment will not support this at the global level. I can only hope the world will evolve to embrace this thought of a society where we can all ignore the media and hatred in the coming years and keep a haven in the community where we currently live. If we can keep this in our hearts when dealing with others different from ourselves, society may evolve through our grassroots efforts. We must go beyond hate and start small.
This holiday let’s welcome one person to our dinner table for an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience from one other. Perhaps we can create a small utopia in our neighborhood. Thank you for continuing the conversation. I look forward to hearing from you.
