Analysis Of Utopia By Thomas More

The term "utopia" is defined as both "no place" and "perfect place." In Utopia, Thomas More creates a utopic society centering around communistic ideas. Utopia is an ideal communistic society that abolishes private property. The perfect society he creates is therefore not attainable due to humanity never being able to obtain complete and holistic perfection. Utopia's strict rules impose several limitations upon its citizens that therefore dehumanize them. Utopia's strict rules limit the citizen's freedom of imagination, innovation, and the freedom to have opinions in society. The rules and regulations enforced in Utopia limit the growth of ideas and limit humanity in itself by means of not allowing man to strive and achieve his full potential.
When discussing the towns of Utopia, Thomas More states, "Well, when you've seen one of them, you've seen them all, for they're as nearly identical as local conditions will permit."(More 52). In reference to the towns of Utopia, are nearly the exact same as each other and therefore contain nothing unique or special that can be associated with that town. The variety of buildings, architecture, and art that towns possess make each one unique to that particular town. The citizens of Utopia are deprived of the option of making their town their own by having a set architecture and landscapes; limiting the creativity and imagination of the people. Thomas More also speaks of how not one person owns anything they can call there own. "Nobody owns anything, but everyone is rich- for what greater wealth can there be than cheerfulness, peace of mind, and freedom from anxiety?" (More 110). Does not a part of being happy and content with life come from a sense of ownership and the pride of creativity and imagination? Art and design creates pride which results in happiness. As the people of Utopia are deprived of imagination, creativity, and ownership they are therefore deprived of the human nature to create beauty and
Utopia takes the rights of humanity and smothers them by saying that all of the citizens must act the same and have the same opinions. In this way can the citizens of Utopia even be called human at all if they are limited in imagination, creativity, innovation, and opinion? One of the key things that defines humans is their own personalities and ideals. Therefore the people of Utopia are not humans, but more along the line of robots doing and believing the same things. Therefore in Utopia the citizens are dehumanized, because of its strict