I read Thomas Moore’s Utopia when I was very young. Sounds odd, I know, but I went to a small Catholic school and well, when you are taught by nuns and brothers and priests, you read stuff like that. And you research. And you learn. And you wonder why a man thought to be so devote to his church, would fictionalize a Utopic society that made divorce and women priests and euthanasia acceptable …
I don’t remember much of the language in Utopia. Heck, I don’t remember any of it at all … so I looked it up and was shocked to learn that one of the things Moore proposed should exist in his perfect society was the alleviation of capital punishment just because a person stole something. Imagine, if you would, imagine that the idea of not killing another human being because he stole bread to feed his family … blankets to keep warm … a look into a lord’s or lady’s eyes—imagine that NOT murdering that man would be so farfetched an idea it could only be visualized in a society that didn’t exist. That couldn’t exist.
Years later—although not at the recommendation of any priest I knew—I read Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and I was, again, fascinated by everything the book suggested. Living here in the Western world, it’s intriguing to be brought into such a caste-based society where Alpha’s do as they please, and Epsilons do nothing other than take out the trash. Where everyone is predestined to become not what they will, but what’s been decided. And where the people living by freewill and desire alone are called savages. And then … then I had this thought:
What IF what we’ve become close to Mr. Huxley’s interpretation of the future? What IF we’ve become a society that’s so concerned about keeping proper order that we’ve hindered progress.
It is possible. Just something to think about. (And for fellow Huxley fans, while I don’t want to live in a world where order is kept by separation, I would like to live in a world where Soma holidays existed—I mean wouldn’t you?) And yes, I have written about needing a soma holiday before.
Cover image a screenshot of the cover of Brave New World.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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