Utopia Book 3

Thank goodness this was the last section of this crap....if he would have condensed the 500 pages he took to say the same thing over again it would have only been 10 pages long. Anyways...in book three most of what was explained was the social and civilized aspect of Utopia. He began with the concept of slavery. He explained that the majority of slaves were prisioners of war taken in battle; however, the genetic lines of slavery like American slavery was not practiced. Refugees from other countries sometimes beg to be slaves in Utopia because their home lives are so terrible and slavery treats them better than society in their native country. These slaves spend most of their time tending to the sick, which obviously is a big deal in Utopia because sick people are treated like royalty. Nevertheless, when people get sick enough that they have no chance of recovery or are no use to the soceity they are exhorted once they become a burden to others. This concept reminded me of the Holocaust and modern genocide, if you are too weak to work you are killed. Marriage was the next topic, and in Utopia females are not allowed to get married until 18 and males not until 22. If a couple were to break these restrictions or have marital relations before marriage they are punished severely. Before the wedding ceremony actually takes place both the bride and groom are stripped down and seen naked by the other. This is a way of making sure there are no deformities....like making sure the eggs aren't cracked at the grocery store. Adultery is absolutely a no no. If one of the partners in the marriage is wronged the innocent one is granted the privilege to marry again, the perpetrator is not. If adultery is committed the adulterer and the outside lover are condemned to slavery. They are eventually given another chance, but if the offense is committed again they are condemned to death. Within the marital realm is the social hierarchy. From what I read there seems to be no social classes besides slaves and magistrates. Everyone else seems to be in the working class due to the insignificance of money and riches. Another broad topic was the subject of war. Obviously, Utopia does not support war unless they are directly threatened or one of their allies is directly threatened. Even then they do not pursue and attack unless it is the only option. Since they do not believe in a standing army they train all citizens to fight. Men and women go into battle together, serving a dual purpose in economy as a citizen and a soldier. They do not participate in the spoils of war victories, nor do they expect payment or give payment to allies. If war was to happen in Utopia all of the saved money goes to buying foreign soldiers, the concept of letting someone else do the dirty work seems to be popular. The next big subject was religion. From the reading worshiping different gods does not seem to be a problem....however paganism is not included. Many of the religions mentioned have ties to Catholicism and Protestantism mixed together. They have priests but they are allowed to marry and there are some women holding a high office in the church. In Utopian culture being married by the church was considered the socially excepted thing and was the goal for all people. Being single seemed to be torturous and wearing of all pleasures. Justice and equity are important to all people.

Overall, this section was boring. The only interesting parts were about how uncool slavery is and how unfair marriage seems to women. What if a woman was raped? By no fault of her own she would have technically committed adultery. She would be so screwed. Is there any exceptions to that rule? I think the age limits on marriage are restrictive in a bad way. My own personal opinion is that marriage is something that works better between people who are mature and understand a committed relationship. Granted this does not normally happen until you are in your mid to late twenties. However, some people mature earlier than others. But how can you possible control when you fall in love with someone? What if it was before you were 18? Could you start a family? Get married? Not in Utopia. You would have to wait...depending on when you met your significant other that could be a while. Is that fair? Maybe it should depend on your maturity level and the understanding you have of relationships. That might cut back on the numbers of divorces even in people who are old enough to get married by these standards. Slavery is not cool no matter if it is prisoners of war or refugees who have no chance in their native countries. The money Utopia has should be spent on making themselves better and the neighboring countries better. That would help the economy of those countries so that those people would not have to come and beg for slavery because that is a better alternative. How bad would your life have to be to want to go into slavery instead of living where you are? People should never feel inferior to others no matter their race, intellectual level, or native country. People should also never feel the need to put themselves in a superior position above others for any reason. People are people. We all came from the same place where ever you believe that is. Utopians believe in human nature is the partnership that bonds us all together as one body. Our life is a gift and a privilege in itself and that is one thing that we ALL have in common.