I have just had the privilege of finishing one of the greatest books I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying! ‘Utopia’ by Sir Thomas More reads like a conversation in the beginning. Then the second character of focus begins to tell his tale of the Utopians and how they run their country. In Utopia, there is truly a commonwealth. Everyone works and enjoys broadening their knowledge. Their government is fair and just. They do not value money as it serves them no use; instead, they value iron since they need it for practical uses - pearls are given to children as playthings. They dress simply as fine clothes are impractical. And everyone is truly treated equal. No one is above the rest. Even those who would be deemed politicians in today’s language (this is written in old English) put in an honest day’s work and are politicians second. Because everyone works, no one goes needing of anything. Everyone benefits from the work that they do.
There are many parallels that I saw with society today. Sir Thomas More goes on to say that pride and greed keep the rest of the world from following suite of the great Utopians, and that is even truer in modern society. He notes that those who are hard working in ‘normal’ societies are often left needing more and that the service animals that help plow the fields and such are treated to a better life than the man who breaks his back in honest labor. While, on the other hand, the banker or politician who barely lifts a finger all day makes well beyond his means. For could you imagine if we all worked together, forgetting of something so trivial as money? Our current system is failing. It is well past time to dismantle it and start working together in unity, as a family.
In my personal opinion, this book ought to be the one read in schools and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ needs to be done away with. This book has so much more truth and depth to it that our youth would benefit from and build on.
** As a side note, if reading old english is difficult for you, I highly recommend listening to it on audiobook!
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