Kyle Sheehan

FYS 100 Section 50 – Social Utopias

Dr. Watts

December 1, 2015

Question: How does the Old Order Amish way of life embody and act out the Utopian ideals described by Thomas More?

The Amish way of life, despite being so particular, is actually quite comparable to that of the Utopians described by More. The name Amish is derived from a man Jacob Ammon, a rigid, Mennonite teacher from the seventeenth century (Lutz p1). Almost all Amish have German heritage, however there sects and communities span worldwide. They have a large population in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, an extremely remote area completely removed from normal life, highways and the cities (Richardson p1). The Mennonite lifestyle embodies the Utopian ideals of seclusion, bettering the community, dispossession of goods, harmony.

Just like the Utopians described by Thomas More, the Amish live in seclusion from the rest of urban society. The island of Utopia was surrounded by treacherous waters and rigid rocks which made it impossible for outsiders to visit the island. While the Amish are actually quite receptive of outsiders as visitors, they too live in almost complete seclusion from everyone else (Richardson p1). This is meant to preserve the traditions and values within the communities as best possible. The Amish are forbidden from leaving the communal life, aside from a short period of teenage life, leaving them little to no notion of anything outside Amish life (Foster p3).  The faces of babies are completely covered in the presence of an outsider so as not to corrupt the child. In a sense, the Amish way of life can be described by “Tradition is sacred; something new or different is of the Devil” (Wittmer p2).

More places a large emphasis on the idea of communal living in Utopia. This is sothe people work more toward the betterment of the community rather than the betterment of oneself. However, although the Amish do not live in communal houses, they do care greatly about their neighbors and fellow community members. They settle close to each other, generally bordering another estate or farm, so they can aid one another (Lutz p1). After visiting Lancaster County, Kenderdine recounts his visit saying the communities are so close that “it is hard to tell where one branch ends and another begins” (Kenderdine p1). This sense of helping one another and looking out for your own is key to utopian life.

Another key to Utopia as described by More is the dispossession of goods or abolition of private property. The Amish have very little notion of property aside from their own house. From birth, the Amish are forbidden from owning many common worldly possessions or conveniences including electricity, plumbing, and refrigerators. Furthermore, they do not consider any objects to be in their possession. An Amish man does not own a tractor, he simply uses his horses and does the work by hand (Wittmer p2). This lack of ownership or possession rids society of many problems such as greed and jealousy.

Harmony plays a major role in any supposed Utopia. Peace is necessary to promote efficiency as well as decrease violence within the community. The adult crime rate in Amish life is almost non-existent (Foster p1). From an early age, the Amish realize that they have no need for violent methods and thus it is rarely ever used. There has never been any reported felony committed by an Old Order Amish (Wittmer p3). Within the Amish community, it is completely forbidden to sue one another in order to keep harmony and peace (Amish Woman p3). Lutz refers to them as harmless, innocent people and points out that it is against their religion to use force by any means (Lutz p1).

There are many obvious similarities between the Old Order Amish and Utopians. Their lifestyles, values and morals are comparable to say the least. However, it is entirely different to assert that the Amish lifestyle is actually Utopian. Utopia is an imaginary place, and does not exist in any real setting but was simply created by More. The Amish strive to reach a utopian society, but as most others do, fall short. However, it is completely apparent that they do follow and share some if not most of the utopian idea.

 

Works Cited

Wittmer, Joe, and Arnold Moser. “Counseling the Old Order Amish Child.” Elementary School Guidance and Counseling 8, no. 4 (1974). Accessed November 23, 2015. Jstor.org.

Foster, Tom. “American Culture Through Amish Eyes: Perspectives of an Anarchist Protest Movement.” Social Thought and Research 20, no. 1/2 (1997). Accessed November 23, 2015. Jstor.org.

“One Day in the Life of an Amish Woman.” The Independent … Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social, and Economic Tendencies, History, Literature and the Arts 55, no. 2845 (1903). Accessed November 23, 2015. Proquest.com.

Richardson, W H. “A Day with the Pennsylvania Amish.” Outlook 61, no. 13 (1899). Accessed November 23, 2015. Proquest.com.

Kenderdine, Thaddeus. “The Amish at Home and in Meeting.” Friends’ Intelligencer 66, no. 7 (1909). Accessed November 23, 2015. Proquest.com.

Lutz, John. “The Omish.” Western Christian Advocate 49, no. 1 (1882). Accessed November 23, 2015. Proquest.com