Utopia Book 2

• Only natives know about the dangerous channel which leads to the entry of the bay. Without one of the natives as a navigator, there will be a shipwreck.

This set up is pretty good in my opinion. It provides great protection from enemy and if they need to trade with other countries, then the natives themselves can go out and trade with them and return to their country with the goods.

• There are fifty-four cities on the island all with the same laws. Every city sends three of its wisest Senators once a year to Amaurot to consult about their common concerns.

I agree with this set up as long as the three senators keep the concerns of the people in mind. It’s also good they have these assemblies to keep each cities connected and not isolated from each other.

• “Every man may freely enter into any house whatsoever”. Every ten years they change houses by lots.

This is totally ridiculous. I would hate this idea because I would say I’m materialistic and I might really like the house that I live in and I wouldn’t give it up. Also I don’t like how anyone can walk into some random person’s house. There might be things that I might want to keep a secret and that would be pretty hard to do so if anyone can walk in.

• Votes for the Prince are voiced secretly. Then once chosen as a prince, the person is prince for life unless there are suspicions of enslaving people.

I disagree with this idea. I mean I like it because it is democratic by having the people choose their prince but once the person becomes prince, the person is prince for life. What if the person turns out to be some fascists?

• On the island they wear the same sort of clothes without any distinction except what is necessary to distinguish two sexes and the married and unmarried.

I think this idea is ridiculous. This would totally go against the freedom of expression through what a person can wear, but I guess it could warn some guy from hitting on a girl that is already married

• When the person has learned more than one trade, he can choose which trade he likes best and follow it unless the public has more need for a certain one.

I would disagree again based on the fact that is limits the freedom of choice.

• There are timed living schedules. Work for six hours which are 3 before dinner and 3 after dinner. Than from 8pm to noon is basically free time. 8 hours of it go for sleeping and the rest for something that isn’t being idle.

I disagree with this. I just don’t really like this idea because it is too controlling. I mean 6 hours isn’t a lot for me to complain, but I still would like the choose how much I really work. Maybe if this happened to me, I can become the guy off of Into the Wild but for different reasons.

• No family may have less than ten or more than sixteen persons in it; but there can be no determined number for children under age. By removing some of the children of a more fruitful couple to any other family that does not abound so much in them.

I would never give up my children. I disagree with this as well. This society is like a control freak.

• If someone wants to travel, the person must receive permission from his boss to see if he is needed for work. If not the person then goes to the Prince to get a passport that states if the person is allowed to leave town and when the person must return. If the person leaves without a passport, the person is considered a fugitive and if caught the person is sent home in disgrace. If caught twice as a fugitive, the person becomes a slave.

I can agree with this idea. This sounds pretty similar to what we have to do in our world as in if we want to go to a different country except I don’t really know about the whole slave thing. But I guess there has to be a punishment of some sort if we don’t follow the rules. I would say slavery is a little too much though.

book 1 utopia

Thomas More's Major points:

• People with great wisdom should help serve the king and the people
• Don't have many idle men because it will disturb time of peace
• Banish plagues such expensive clothing, drinking, gambling
• Set up agriculture and manufacturing so the idle men can work and not become thieves
  
• don't give death penalty to thieves but rather have them work to improve the community
  

Well, I pretty much agree with all those points. Smart people should help guide the king so they can make life good for everyone. Along with that, they can also have the opportunity to sorta control the king to have benefits coming to themselves. There shouldn't be many idle men because if they have nothing else to do, they might cause trouble. Furthermore, they might become theives in More's belief. The next point on banishing the plagues, it would be nice i guess to banish all the bad stuff, but i dont think it would be that great of an idea. The people need things to relax and just have some fun. Then setting up agriculture and manufacturing is a good idea so men can work. its good to have a productive community so the community can eventually expand. the last point is a good one too because its like a win win situation. thieves win because they are granted life with a chance of freedom and the community wins because things that no one wants to do gets done.