Utopia

Utopia is a term that refers to an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its citizens. The term was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island society in the Atlantic Ocean. The concept of a utopia has been linked to ideals of societal or communal perfection, and has sparked debates in social, political, and religious contexts.

Etymology

The term Utopia was coined from Greek by Sir Thomas More in 1516. Utopia is derived from the Greek ou ('not') and topos ('place') and means 'no-place', and strictly describes any non-existent society 'described in considerable detail'. However, in standard usage, the term's meaning has narrowed and now usually describes a non-existent society that is intended to be viewed as considerably better than contemporary society.

Varieties

Utopian ideals often place emphasis on egalitarian principles of equality in economics, government and justice, though by no means exclusively, with the method and structure of proposed implementation varying based on ideology. According to Lyman Tower Sargent "there are socialist, capitalist, monarchical, democratic, anarchist, ecological, feminist, patriarchal, egalitarian, hierarchical, racist, left-wing, right-wing, reformist, free love, nuclear family, extended family, gay, lesbian, and many more utopias [...] Utopianism, some argue, is essential for the improvement of the human condition. But if used wrongly, it becomes dangerous. Utopia has an inherent contradictory nature here."

Religious Utopias

New Harmony, a utopian attempt; depicted as proposed by Robert Owen A wide variety of intentional communities with some type of faith-based ideas have also started across the world. The Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible depicts an eschatological time with the defeat of Satan and of evil. The main difference compared to the Old Testament promises is that such a defeat also has an ontological value (Rev 21:1;4: "Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea...'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away").

See Also

• Dystopia
• Utopian and dystopian fiction
• Utopian socialism
• List of utopian literature
• List of films about utopias

External Links

• Utopia and Dystopia – The Many Faces of The Future

Utopia Resources
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