Like Plato, More retains the belief in One God in his concept of the perfect society by injecting the foundation of Neoplatonism and blending it with a rather festive or carnival-like quality (Marius 1995 as qtd in SparkNotes 2010). Utopians enjoy the good life at the expense of firmly rooted institutions and established order in society. People turn their freedom around and upside down. Ranks, norms, prohibitions, private property and morals are suspended. Critics see the Utopian society as opposing what has been made complete and immortal for ages (SparkNotes).
Conclusion
Both Plato and Thomas More, in their respective works, aim at the perfect or ideal society but in different perspectives under the 5 sub-themes. Plato builds his society on justice and harmony in a way that balances the internal and the external conditions of a person. He assumes that true justice already exists in every man and that every man desires it. His Republic is headed by philosopher-kings, reared and trained from childhood. He believes that a just society can exist only according to the principles of justice already enshrined in the heart of a philosopher-king. Thomas More, on the other hand, builds his perfect society on rational thought, communal property, optimum productivity and the abolition of individuality and authority. He believes in the primacy of good, which equates with the good and pleasant life and benevolence itself. There are no classes of people in the Utopia. They feel no greed for wealth. There is no poverty in this society and only a minimum of crime and immorality. The people sacrifice all external forms of order for a life of unbounded pleasure and license.
In the Republic, guardians are carefully chosen from and adequately prepared for from childhood. From the three ranks come the soldiers, the military arm of the State. In contrast, there is no authority in the Utopia. It goes by public censure and punishment. Slavery and being treated as an animal are extreme punishments for offenders and it is imposed by society as a whole.
Citizenships in the Republic falls under distinct classes, according to what the people contribute...
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