*This was first published on the Pileus website in 2017. It has been slightly updated to reflect what has happened since*
The world seems to be an increasingly binary place, perhaps more so than any time since the late 1970’s, when Thatcher, swiftly followed by Reagan and then every other nation, unleashed the turbo charged work of the Chicago economists upon the world…Neo-Liberalism
Right now, we have Brexiteers telling us that their Utopian vision is the correct one and rests with the UK throwing off the shackles of the EU to float around the seven seas aboard HMS Britannia, in free trade festival of sovereignty. While the Remainers, tell us our future is ONLY assured if we stay in the club and collaborate to protect us from an increasingly splintered and global world. Both feel passionately that their world-view, and Utopian vision is correct. You argue Brexit is an option of bravery, whilst Remain is one of fear (“better the devil you know”). Unfortunately, belief does tend to blind one to the truths of others. The more thoughtful amongst us are probably still scratching our heads, trying to make sense of it all.
But do Utopias exist? Will they ever? Should we strive for them?
The person we have to thanks for dropping the seductive concept of Utopia into the human mind is St Thomas More (of Henry VIII fame). He may not have been the first to ponder a Utopia, but he was the first to coin the phrase and put pen to paper with a detailed and well thought out premise.
‘UTOPIA’ was published in the perquisite Latin, in 1516. Only available to the elites of the age who could afford a copy, have access to and could read (Perhaps, he saw the irony in that) More created a make believe island world, with echoes of Marxism 250 years in advance of Karl himself and fair smattering of proto-Orwell.
More’s protagonists, particularly Raphael, see the ills in the 16th Century European world primarily being the tendency of European Kings to start wars and the huge sums of money spent warring, that was then unavailable to be spent on other more useful ventures. (The modern day relevance is staggering) More and Raphael, criticise the use of execution for crimes of theft on the basis that if Capital Punishment applies equally for theft and murder, you may as well bump off any witnesses to your thievery. However, they were insightful enough to recognise the links between poverty, starvation and crime and pointed their collective finger at the practice of enclosing of common land for sheep farming, by the elites of the age. Sagely, they also know good governance requires wisdom and good listening skills.
‘Plato doubtless did well foresee, unless kings themselves would apply their minds to the study of philosophy, that else they would never thoroughly allow the council of philosophers, being themselves before, even from their tender age, infected and corrupt with perverse and evil opinions.’
Interestingly, rather than espousing the revolution of Marx, More favours the ‘Remain and Reform’ option. Choosing to work within flawed systems to change and improve, rather than hoping to start again from first scratch. Which neatly frames what Remain has occasionally argued but never actually explained ‘How’, though the confused Yanis Varoufakis had a go pre-Referendum.
More’s vision of ‘Utopia’, is an island off the ‘Mainland’ (Steady Brexiteers) and the democratic and municipal structures are based around:
54 cities, each divided into quarters.
Each city has a maximum of 6000 households
Each family consists of 10-16 adults
Grouped by 30 households which each elect a representative.
A total of 200 representatives in turn elect a ruler by secret ballot, who is to rule for life – unless he is deposed or removed for tyranny
People are distributed around Utopian houses and towns to keep numbers even. Freedom of Movement is allowed, if overpopulation or under population threatens. Colonies are set up on the mainland, or mainland inhabitants are invited to join Utopia. It is voluntary and if you don’t like Utopian life, you can return.
There is no private property and all houses are rotated between the citizens every ten years. All goods are stored in warehouses where you can request what you need. There are no locks on the doors of the houses. The economy, unsurprisingly, is agriculture based and is the most important occupation in Utopia, with all taught farming skills and all doing a form of national service on farms every two years. Women do the same farm work as men.
Every citizen is required to learn at least one secondary trade: weaving (mainly done by the women – Of course) carpentry, metal work and masonry. All people wear a uniform of sorts, regardless of status and trade, no fancy apparel on More’s Utopia. Every member of Utopia is required to work – no unemployment allowed and the working day can be as short as six hours a day if required.
Of course the elites, rise to the top and become officials or priests but are chosen for their qualifications and ability to learn.
Education and learning is encouraged in leisure time. More’s Utopia also boasted a form of welfare state including free healthcare, euthanasia, married priests and divorce. Amusingly for a lawyer, More’s Utopia contains no lawyers because Utopian law is deliberately simple, and all should know what is right and wrong. The toleration of all other religious ideas is enshrined in a universal prayer recited by Utopians.
Atheists are tolerated but are seen as a danger to the state. Why? As they do not believe in an after life, it was considered that that they would have little incentive to fear punishment, or reason to share the Communism of Utopia. All atheists are greedy and grasping, apparently. However, they are not banished but are encouraged to talk out their ‘erroneous beliefs’ with the priests until they are convinced of their error.
Utopians do not do war. They do a bit of arms dealing and military aid to friendly countries but prefer the capture of enemies rather than death.
So you could argue, so far so good-ish, not for everyone but you can see how More tries to alleviate the social and economic problems of 16th century Europe, framed in the context of his age.
However, there is a Orwellian dark side to Utopia and this is where More’s own Cognitive Dissonance, comes to the fore in the form of:
Slavery, each house being allowed two, foreigners or Utopian criminals. Their chains are made gold. Gold is part of the collective wealth of Utopia. Shackling criminals with it, or using it for bodily functions – chamber pots – is intended to create distaste. With the gold being in plain view it is difficult to steal. However, slaves do enjoy periodic Jubilees for good behaviour.
Pre-marital sex is punished by enforced celibacy.
Adultery punished by enslavement. Meals are taken in communally with the old and of course, the ‘administrators’ taking the best of the food. ID cards are required to travel internally. No ID card equals slavery.
More is completely confused as to his view of women and what their role should be. Wives are subject to their husbands and husbands are subject to their wives but women are restricted to conducting household tasks. At the same time all women are trained in military arts, women confess their sins to their husbands once a month. Gambling, hunting, makeup and astrology are all discouraged in Utopia.
Privacy is not regarded as freedom in Utopia. Pubs and places for private gatherings are non-existent for the effect of keeping all men in full view, so that they are obliged to behave well.
So fast-forwarding to 2017, as ever nothing much has changed over the years. We can all recognise More’s Utopia for what it was, an attempt to identify society’s ills, most of which are just as relevant today, with solutions that eventually rely on power of elites, dispensations, gender inequality, problems with personal liberties and everyone ultimately having a boss. So no solution at all.
The world today presents us with the failed a Neo-Liberal paradise of free trade liberty that mutated into an increasingly economic feudal order. Dictatorship pretending to be Communism, collapsed under the weight of it’s own intransigence, desperation to keep the powered elite in situ and lack of understanding of the human psyche, all to be replaced by a Capitalist Dictatorship.
Brexiteers wish to reclaim an England lost that never existed. Yes, it is seductive one, appealing to an emotional response to a lost age, without understanding the world is a changed place and that their Utopia will not be achieved.
Remainers EUtopia fails to recognise the immense democratic deficit with the EU, it’s adherence to Neo-Liberal economics and punishment beatings. Trump presents his UKIP version of American Nationalism but with little to back it up apart from words and only actions that contradict his promises. Does Utopia lurk somewhere amongst these competing -isms & -ologies?
We attempted to post-1945 and we called it Social Democracy/State Capitalism, an agreed Social Contract of rules and behaviours between Capital and Society. There has never been a more urgent time for a new Social Contract and a Bretton Woods II for the global 21st Century.
If Labour had got its act together, it could have proposed LEXIT as a response to carve a new path that was neither Brexit or Remain…
And another thing... 