If We Are All Different, Are We All the Same?
An Analysis of Uniformity in Thomas More’s Utopia
Individuality is an attribute so heavily stressed in society today. However, since most people are trying to stand out in the same ways, at the end of the day we all end up identical. The question standing is, is there a real way to be unique and if so is that something we should really be trying to achieve? I believe that while sameness may not be the answer to all of society’s problems it does solve a lot of them. As a whole a uniform society will function more efficiently and effortlessly than an individualistic society. In Thomas More’s Utopia, sameness is a trait that is valued and rightfully so since there are valuable benefits to the idea. …show more content…
In Utopia all citizens have an education and are encouraged to pursue hobbies and activities that are intellectual which leads to an all together improved society. Imagine if everyone was able to go through high school and college, get a degree, and get a fulfilling job. Would society as a whole not be better off? The price of an education today is incredibly high which keeps it out of the budget for many lower class citizens. With an education under their belt people will be able to contribute to society in a constructive way rather than spending their lives in low paying menial positions. Education is an important value that is often ignored due to costs. With uniformity society can help every citizen achieve their full intellectual …show more content…
A particularly obvious flaw in this system is the lack of free will. If society becomes too streamlined, then people turn into robots blindly following a leader that may not be making the best choices for them. However, maybe this is an idea that may keep society safer. In the giver the following exchange takes place between Jonas and the Giver. "Oh. Jonas was silent for a minute...we don 't dare to let people make choices of their own. Not safe? The Giver suggested. Definitely not safe, Jonas said with certainty. "What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And they chose wrong? (Lowry 98) Making wrong choices can seem catastrophic to someone who has never made their own choice before. However, look at how many people make their own choices on a daily basis. Do all their choices end up being the correct one? No. Yet, from wrong choices we learn and grow into better human beings. This may mean that in a uniform society there will be very little if any personal development. This is definitely one of the greatest flaws to the uniform
An Analysis of Uniformity in Thomas More’s Utopia
Individuality is an attribute so heavily stressed in society today. However, since most people are trying to stand out in the same ways, at the end of the day we all end up identical. The question standing is, is there a real way to be unique and if so is that something we should really be trying to achieve? I believe that while sameness may not be the answer to all of society’s problems it does solve a lot of them. As a whole a uniform society will function more efficiently and effortlessly than an individualistic society. In Thomas More’s Utopia, sameness is a trait that is valued and rightfully so since there are valuable benefits to the idea. …show more content…
In Utopia all citizens have an education and are encouraged to pursue hobbies and activities that are intellectual which leads to an all together improved society. Imagine if everyone was able to go through high school and college, get a degree, and get a fulfilling job. Would society as a whole not be better off? The price of an education today is incredibly high which keeps it out of the budget for many lower class citizens. With an education under their belt people will be able to contribute to society in a constructive way rather than spending their lives in low paying menial positions. Education is an important value that is often ignored due to costs. With uniformity society can help every citizen achieve their full intellectual …show more content…
A particularly obvious flaw in this system is the lack of free will. If society becomes too streamlined, then people turn into robots blindly following a leader that may not be making the best choices for them. However, maybe this is an idea that may keep society safer. In the giver the following exchange takes place between Jonas and the Giver. "Oh. Jonas was silent for a minute...we don 't dare to let people make choices of their own. Not safe? The Giver suggested. Definitely not safe, Jonas said with certainty. "What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And they chose wrong? (Lowry 98) Making wrong choices can seem catastrophic to someone who has never made their own choice before. However, look at how many people make their own choices on a daily basis. Do all their choices end up being the correct one? No. Yet, from wrong choices we learn and grow into better human beings. This may mean that in a uniform society there will be very little if any personal development. This is definitely one of the greatest flaws to the uniform