The Conception of a Utopia

Abstract

The term “utopia” was coined by English philosopher Sir Thomas Moore in 1516 in his book Utopia. In short, it is an imaginary place where everything, including human nature, is perfect. This concept has a lengthy history, tracing back to the early days of human society. To think about utopia is a “prime political act,” meaning that it is one of the most natural and prioritized political topics. As populations increased and societies expanded from villages to intercontinental empires, humankind has refused to be bounded by the present. There has always been the need to look forward into the future, thinking about and devising more effective governance systems along the way. This essay will evaluate the ideas of the Greek philosopher Plato’s The Republic, the Chinese philosophers Lao Tzu, Tao Yuanming, the French Enlightenment thinker Jacques Rousseau, and the German theorist Karl Marx. Consequently, two main conclusions emerge: a utopia is difficult to achieve, and a utopia is valuable even if civilization cannot realize it.