Saturday, February 7, 2009

Utopia or Eutopia

The word Utopia derives from the Greek words ou ("not") and topos ("place") and simply means "not a place." Throughout history, there has been countries founded as an Utopia. In history, civilizations that try to achieve a communitarian lifestyle generally disinigrate or end in a repressive rule. The utopian Soviet Union is an example of how Utopia's turn into a repressive rule before falling apart.
Contrasting from a Utopia is a Eutopia, which is Greek for a "good place", and is attainable in the real world. The organizational structure (country, kingdom, etc...) that creates the eutopia consists of a limited government that permits human creativity and achievement. Individual self-interest is not considered a bad thing, because it expresses itself in relationships of mutual benefit that result in productivity and the generation of wealth. Wealth and happiness does not have to be forced in a Eutopia.
Is the Brave New World a Utopia or a Eutopia?

If you are interested in reading more about the difference between a Utopia and a Eutopia, the following link is to a .pdf document that is very informative. Utopia verses Eutopia

12 comments:

davies molloy said...

I feel that it is fairly obvious that this book represents a utopia. This is because the society directly uses things such as soma, hypnopaedia, and childhood conditioning therapies to force everyone to live, think and feel the EXACT way that this invisible know all government wants them to. although, the author (possibly as a contrast)uses this Indian-American culture to represent a eutopia, which, while not very accepting of outsiders is quite obviously a fairly typical free society.

Jake Hulsey said...

Drew brings up an interesting question, and has given some interesting information in his question. I agree with Davies, it is a utopia, realisticly this society does not exist, but it is an interesting look at some things that could be in the future.

Justin Mills said...

The book Brave New World is based on a Utopian society where the government decides what is good and bad and leaves absolutely nothing up to the people.

iThRoWdAhEaDoVv said...

Brave new World defenently represents a Utopian world. In this book we see peace, we see happiness and we see and organized human society which reflects more of an Utopia than a Eutopia.

Mike Sipes said...

I have to agree with everyone this is a representation of utopia. Living in a world of different social classes and having to take a drug to get sences of pleasure.

RyanSmith said...

I have to say that Brave New World is a Eutopia, not until the very end do we see any signs of non-peace in the World State. It was run by a strict government.

CJones said...

I feel that in the brave new world it is a utopia. I feel that it is because there are many things showing the utopian way of life. The idea of soma being used to make people numb away and feel good. they made this to make every one happy so they can control they way these people are. this is a reason why i feel it is a utopia.

RJ Schmitz said...

I think that Brave New World is a Utopia. I say this because everyone in the world (save for the people on the Savage reservation) are happy at where they are in society. There is no need to move up in society and people are numb to a lot of the things that go on around them.

Julian Jimenez said...

I believe that Brave New World is best represented as a Eutopia because the government in Brave New World has many restrictions on the creativity aspect of human nature. It limits peoples abilities and full potential, but it still is a great example of a organized structure because the details are payed attention to.

Andrew Cosgrove said...

I think that the Brave New World is a utopia. The government at the time encourages people to use soma a drug that hypnotizes people into being happy which leaves them blinded to other things to the world around them. Their system of government wants to basically make them slaves in their own society.

Anthony42 said...

It is neither! It is clearly, both through text and author's intent, that this book is a distopia a bad place.

Anthony42 said...

It is NEITHER!!! This book, both through text and author's intent, is clearly a dystopia, a bad place.