Listening 43 – Listen for specific words

The term “utopia” is a play on words – derived from Greek, it can mean both “a good place” as well as “no place” – perhaps implying that a completely flawless society is to attain.

The first documented description of a utopia is from Plato’s Republic, written in 380 B.C. Plato, a Greek , described a society in which the people were organized into four socioeconomic classes.

The “golden class” would be the and decision-makers, possessing great wisdom and receiving training to become “philosopher-kings” who would ensure the fair distribution of . The main characteristic of the “silver class” would be courage, as they would be soldiers responsible for the state as well as enforcing laws. The “bronze and iron” classes would be the , with the primary virtue of moderation, so as to work for the good of the collective rather than accumulating wealth.

Plato argued that the of these three virtues – wisdom, courage, and moderation – would result in the ideal society. To prevent the members of the gold and silver classes from becoming tyrants, they would not be allowed to own private ; instead, they would be entirely dependent on the bronze and iron classes for their sustenance. Also, membership in the classes would not be hereditary; each child would be by the state and assigned according to their character and skills.

In Plato’s utopia, artists and poets were by law, as he believed that the introduction of new ideas could destabilize society. Marriage and would not exist; instead, sexual relations would be completely free and children would not know who their parents were.

Sir Thomas More, writing fifteen centuries later, offers a different angle on utopia. In his , there is no private ownership whatsoever; goods are kept in warehouses and people request what they need. Equality and uniformity are central themes – clothes and are simple, and the use of cosmetics and jewelry is discouraged. Meals are eaten in , and everyone receives the same food.

In More’s utopia, there are no lawyers because the laws of society are simple enough for everyone to . Agriculture is the primary profession, and every able-bodied person must work six hours per day. Each household has two slaves – the slaves being or foreigners captured in wars. Although the citizens of More’s utopia are pacifists, they recognize that war is sometimes inevitable – but they try to rather than kill their enemies.

More radically differs from Plato in that he marriage in extremely high esteem, with punishments for having sex outside of marriage. Divorce is permitted only in very special , and considerable priority is placed on the educated selection of a lifelong mate.

While some writers imagine utopian societies, others speculate about dystopias – societies containing and frightening flaws. Dystopias are often invented to highlight current, real-world issues which, if left unchecked, could develop into nightmares for .

Interestingly, the strict laws and social found in utopias also figure prominently in many dystopias. In Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, children are produced artificially through cloning, and the is genetically engineered to produce different social classes. Each person is then brainwashed from to fulfill their specific role in society, and any hint of individuality is squashed.

Whereas in most utopias the role of science and technology is , Huxley shows us a sinister side to scientific progress. Modern movies like The Matrix are also dystopias, projecting the possible dangers of technology and the of mass psychological manipulation.

Almost all dystopias share one common – a group of rebels or members of a secret society who are not under the control of the , and often work actively to overthrow it. This reflects the truth that no matter how heavy-handed the oppression, the human is unconquerable.