Kyle Sheehan
FYS Social Utopia
Dr. Watts
August 26, 2015
A social utopia is best described as a concept. It’s an ideal situation which ironically does not exist. However, the objective fact that such a place doesn’t exist does not defeat one’s ability to imagine how this utopia should look and function.
If I were to pick the ideal location or layout of a social utopia, I imagine it would be very similar to the University of Richmond campus. The buildings however would be heavy stone instead of brick and laden with flying buttresses and gargoyles. All of these buildings would be arranged around a crystal clear lake. The building’s closeness to the lake would represent its importance to the community. Those that surround the lake closest would include: a governmental building (Town Hall), a school, a hospital, a facility. The next ring of buildings would include residential housing. There would be no rent, no mortgages, and most importantly nobody would be homeless.
The third ring would be the work ring containing farms, means of creating a fresh water supply, mines and a clothing factory. Each resident would be assigned to one of the four jobs through a random selection process. There will be a 7 hour work day but no wages as there is no need for money. This would eliminate the social class system and create a general sense of equality amongst all residents.
The final ring would be completely recreational. It would only be accessible during non-work hours and include basketball courts, tennis courts, a field and a full-scale workout gym and a residential dining hall. Recreation and physical activity is key not only to physical health, but emotional and mental health as well. The residential dining hall serve regulated portions of healthy foods as an attempt to eliminate a major health concern, obesity. The final ring would be surround by a vast and deep forest thousands of trees and shrubbery. This vegetation would provide clean oxygen for the community.
Every society needs laws, regulations and someone to enforce them. In this utopia however, there are only five simple laws:
- You cannot leave your job assignment
- The trees surrounding the final ring are not to be touched
- No resident is allowed to harm another resident (physically or emotionally)
- No swimming in the lake
- All food must be consumed in the dining hall
All residents will act as the police force and are required to report any breaking of these five laws to the high jury located in the Town Hall. The high jury consists of 7 appointees, chosen by a vote of all residents. Any resident found guilty of violating these five laws will immediately be removed from the utopia entirely.
Despite the obvious appeal of such a place, it is still only a concept. It can never be achieved. There are too many obstructions that can and do get in the way. Most of these obstructions can be attributed to human flaws such as greed. There will never be a true utopia.