Comparing Societies: Why Utopian Freedom is Best

It is difficult to define freedom, because it varies drastically when interpreted by different ethnicities and individuals. Like many concepts that describe the human condition, freedom maintains certain features regardless of how it is interpreted. The relationship between freedom, justice and societal goals is one of these features. Through this relationship we will explore both the nature and the quality of freedom in Thomas More’s Utopia.

What relationship exists between freedom, justice and societal goals? To answer this question we, like Plato, should look to a model society. Our model society will have a goal: a characteristic that makes a model citizen and which the populace desires to achieve. Our model society will also have justice: which protects the societal goal. Finally, our model will also have freedom: which is the means by which citizens may attain the societal goal. Using this general image of society, we will examine freedom in Utopia, and compare it with freedom in Greek and Roman society. Finally we will judge the societies to determine if Utopia has the best sort of freedom.

Can we even judge Utopian society distinctly from Greek society? In Eric Nelson’s Utopia through Italian Eyes, he discusses the differences between Greek and Roman societies, and suggests that the society More creates in Utopia is an advocacy of Greek freedom, over Roman freedom. While he makes a compelling argument, he overlooks several important aspects of Utopian freedom, which make it distinct from either Greek or Roman freedom. These differences allow us to look at Utopia as a formulation of a new path for society, rather than an advocacy for either pre-existing one.

What is Greek freedom? Eric Nelson says that it “is the condi...

... middle of paper ...

...ve by their vices? They are cast from the society of Utopia or made slaves, and so it is that all citizens of Utopia are free and able to acquire the desired characteristic. Is this really sufficient for us to call it freedom? Freedom is only given by a society to its citizens, so it is technically correct to call what the Utopians have Freedom. I therefore judge Utopian freedom to be the best freedom out of those discussed. Utopian freedom is, however, far from perfect, as it does not truly allow everyone to achieve its societal goal.

Works Cited

More, Thomas. Utopia. Eds. G. Logan and R. Adams. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Nelson, Eric. “Utopia through Italian Eyes: Thomas More and the Critics of Civic Humanism.” Renaissance Quarterly. 59 (Winter 2006): 1029-1057

Plato. The Republic. Trans. Desmond Lee. 1955. London: Penguin Books, 1974