Who of us hasn’t dreamt of living in a perfect world where evil doesn’t exist and where dreams of happiness and justice really do come true?
The novel “Utopia” by Thomas More presents this dream. It is considered as one of the most important books ever written. The novel is reprinted at regular intervals so that generation after generation may discover it for themselves.
In the novel, More describes for us an ideal island which he claims to have discovered during his journeys and which left a great impression on him. More weaves a web of reality and idealism, balancing and bringing to light similarities and differences between the two. In doing so, he lays the foundations of the utopian novel of such writers as H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and others.
More imagined utopia, an ideal world or paradise on earth. The novel’s intellectual, social and political substance fills us with excitement, for the implication is that the world of the novel is real and does in fact exist. This world though does not entirely exemplify the ideal world that we desire — on the contrary, it may be an example of the worst traits of the real world, making it a sort of warning for what dangers await us, like George Orwell’s novel “1984.”
Generally speaking, utopia as imagined by More is linked to the dreams of man and at the same time with his reality. It is not related to a specific time or place but deals with general issues that may take on different forms in other ages and under different circumstances.
More (1477-1535) was a notable personality, the most eminent of his contemporaries, the fairest and most humane. He ranks among the elite of Britain and among its most knowledgeable men. He dedicated his life to the service of truth and justice and was killed by his king for sticking to his principles and thus became a martyr. He is one of the few personalities who inspire admiration and respect throughout the world and in succeeding generations.
How distant is More’s dream from our current reality! It is a dream that will never come true so long as frail humans inhabit this world.
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With the increasing difficulties that face us in our daily lives, the idea of social responsibility has become widespread and has taken on different forms. Among them are after-school classes held for students unable to afford the exorbitant private tuition fees, universities that organize an annual bazaar providing students with reasonably-priced clothing and textbooks from students who have passed their final exams and are willing to donate to other students.
Social responsibility is not limited to students, schools and colleges but is widespread in society. For example, in England, tradition has it that judges and lawyers must cover their heads with a white wig and wear the black robes.
With life in England becoming more expensive, this has been reflected in the price of the wig, which can reach 250 pounds, while the robe may cost 150 pounds. While for older lawyers and judges this may not be a burden, for younger lawyers just beginning their career, it is very much a burden.
Thus the House of Lords has called on retired lawyers and judges to sell their wigs and robes since they no longer need them. They also called for them to be sold at reasonable prices to students or simply to be donated to young lawyers.
The deluge of donated wigs and robes from many retired judges and lawyers surprised the House of Lords, which set up an office specifically to deal with the donations and to distribute them to young lawyers. Perhaps these very same lawyers will later do the same when they themselves retire.
