![]() ![]() There is no leisure class there are no beggars, swashbucklers, religious orders, or malingerers, nor is one sex exempted from (or forbidden to) work. The equitable distribution of labor enables Utopia to produce a surplus of goods. They have morning lecturesmandatory for those selected to pursue intellectual activities as a trade, but regularly attended by a good number of "ordinary" people. Most of the Utopian leisure activities are edifying or intellectual. They work only six hours each day, sleeping for eight hours, and devoting the remainder to meals and leisure. The Utopians believe in working smart, rather than simply working hard. Individuals are also permitted to learn two trades in this manner and they can then practice whichever trade they prefer unless the city has a greater need for the other skill. If a child wishes to learn another trade, the child is adopted into a different household. Children generally learn their father's trade. In terms of occupation, all of the Utopians (both males and females) are trained in farming, though everyone learns another trade. These measures aim to prevent conspiracy and prevent shortsighted decision-making. Furthermore, in the Senate, no point is discussed on the same day during which it is introduced. All public business must be conducted within the public assemblies and it is a capital crime to hold such discussions elsewhere. ![]() Unless he is "suspected of trying to become a tyrant," the ruler serves for life. Magistrates are elected from groups of families and the highest of these magistrates serve in the Senate and elect the ruler of the people. Stretching back 1760 years, the history of Utopia is well preserved. ![]() There are no locks on the front doors and these doors "open easily with a push of the hand." As a result, "there is nothing private anywhere." Utopians exchange houses every ten years. Each house has a garden and Utopians take great pride in their gardens. The houses and streets are planned in design, aesthetics, and dimensions and the model is duplicated across the island. The Utopians built a stonework bridge and fortified the area. Upstream, the Anyder becomes salty and flows into the ocean. Utopia enjoys a surplus of goods and the country villages and cities freely give to each other without receiving anything in exchange.Īmaurot sits on the banks of the Anyder River, the largest river in Utopia. As a result, the hard labor of farming is distributed across the population and everyone learns the necessary agricultural skills. Each citizen serves a two-year stint in the country and then returns homes. In addition to its cities, Utopia has a wealth of rural farming land. The Utopians regulate the size of each household, organizing the households into governable units. Amaurot, the capital city, is located at the center of the island and every year, each city sends three delegates to Amaurot to discuss common problems. Much of this is due to the civilizing influence of Utopus who transformed a "crude and rustic mob" into a culture of note. ![]() The island has fifty-four cities sharing "exactly the same language, customs, institutions, and laws." The cities also have the same planned layout. The Utopians have mapped and mastered these waters but the shallows and rocks successfully deter foreign invaders. The straits of Utopia are dangerous with shallows and rocks. The island is roughly circular in shape and its natural harbors are navigable. What Utopus and his men achieved in a relatively short period of time astonished these naysayers. The neighboring villagers mocked Utopus because his ambitious project seemed doomed to fail. In book Two, Hythloday explains that the general Utopus dug through the narrow isthmus that connected Utopia to the mainland. In Utopia's Introduction, the quatrain mentions that Utopia was made into an island. In the first half of Book Two, Raphael describes the natural geography of Utopia and then addresses the major cities, the system of government, the social distribution of labor and responsibility, and "how the Utopians travel." Throughout Book Two, Hythloday praises the Utopian customs and fails to offer any negative criticism. ![]()
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