Major Themes in Renaissance Utopias (Summary/Response Paper for Ideal Worlds) 06-12-12

Joseph Melanson 06-08-12

Sadeq, Ala Eddin., Shalabi, Ibrahim., Alkurdi, Shireen Hikmat. “Major Themes in Renaissance Utopias.” Asian Social Science. 7. 9. Sept. 2011. Ebscohost.     www.ccsenet.org/ass. DOI: 10.5539/ass.V7n9p131. PDF.

Summary:

Utopias are invented “myths”, intended to be examples of “wishful thinking and escape” (Sadeq, Shalabi, & Alkurdi, 2011, para. 1). Often these utopias are invented during periods of “social instability” and “widespread discontent” like during the age of the Renaissance, in order to encourage change (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 1).

The paper focuses on the major themes of the Renaissance utopias, often referred to as “social utopias” (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 2). The most famous examples of these social utopias are Thomas More’s Utopia (1516), Francois Rabelais’ Abbey of Theleme (1534), Thomas Campanella’s The City of the Sun (1613-1614), Valentine Andrea’s Christianopolis (1619), and Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis (1623).

According to Sadeq et al. (2011), utopian themes center around three major topics, the means of attaining utopia, the means of maintaining utopia once it is attained, and the political, social, economic, and cultural aims which utopia are claimed to be achieved” (para. 3).

Renaissance utopias generally ignore the first two topics, claiming that the utopia has already achieved “permanent peace, contentment, stability, and security” (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 4).

A large part of the Renaissance utopias are devoted to the goals achieved by these utopias, and these stories are mostly a “story of ideas”, where “plot, action, adventure, characters, and character development” are just tools to create a narrative framework to carry these ideas (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 5). These ideas are centered around the “utopians way of life and their views in relation to nature, human nature, and the organization and institutions of utopian society” (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 6).

Renaissance utopias often are brought about by a “great individual leader like Utopos in More’s Utopia or King Salomon in Bacon’s New Atlantis” (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 8). These utopias are then enjoyed by every citizen, and continue to be easily maintained by the collectively minded individuals of the benevolent society. According to Sadeq et al., (2011) these social utopias are also guarded by “political, economic, social, and educational measures” which serve to prevent change which could disrupt the stability of the utopia (para. 14).

Particular utopias mirror the problems of the age in which the utopia story arises. These stories center around alleviating the problems that center around “nature, human nature, and society” (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 15).

1). Nature. “Nature was the first source of human unhappiness to impose itself on the attention of men” (Sadeq et al., 2011, para. 16). When the Renaissance had arrived man had already had dominated nature and used it for his own purposes. Utopian writers of this period merely sought, in regards to nature, to improve this domination for all, and which everyone could collectively enjoy the fruits of these labors.

2). Human Nature. Before the Renaissance, the idea of a collective utopia of mankind was considered futile due to the inherent wicked nature of man. This pessimism was undone by the new thoughts and ideas which arose during the years of the Renaissance. The idea of an unchangeable original sin in man was changed to a improvable and evolvable malleability of man, especially with this new found discovery called the scientific method.

3). Society. Sadeq et al. (2011), proposes that “literary utopias” arose after the invention of the city, or “open society”, and the dissolution of the “harmonious and warm tribal society”, or closed society” (para. 43). Sadeq et al. (2011), argue that city life was a great invention in many ways but was harmful as well in that it: introduced rapid change without corresponding modifications, caused fragmentation and disharmony in social groups, removed traditional value systems of “behavior and conduct”, set others in competition against one another for material wealth and goods (para. 47). Renaissance utopias generally contain perfected systems of government in which leaders exist only to maintain a harmonious order for all, where the individual is free to explore his place within the collective good of society, and where personal property, as well as personal relationships existed solely for the good of the society, rather than for the benefit and enjoyment of the individual. Work is a necessary and dignified obligation for the individual in these utopias, but of short hours and not arduous. Religion solely exists to bring society together, instead of dividing and education is make available to all, rather than the domain of a privileged few.

Response:

I found the article very informative and interesting in the fact that there are various types and classifications of utopias. Sadeq et al. (2011), in this article focus on Renaissance, or social, utopias but also make references to others, specifically “utopias of ambitious hopes of perfection (H.G. Well’s Men like Gods and William Morris’ News from Nowhere), and utopias of men like gods or dystopias of men like beasts, such as, Zamyatin’s We, and Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four” (para. 1). Not only does the article clarify categories of utopia, but also gives great detail in understanding the criteria of what Renaissance, or social, utopias are comprised of. I think the article will help me in this course by giving me the ability to divide and categorize various types of utopias, and hopefully be able to distinguish and understand the criteria for each respective classification of utopia.