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Utopia

More’s utopia is that of a place where peaceful and prosperous living has flourished to all those who dwell there. It is a place where all work together, providing for not only themselves but, for everyone on the island. All of its people have purpose whether it be working or studying. Thus there is no person who does not give to the community in one way or another. In utopia, all take what they need but no more than what they can use. The utopians do not value gold or silver for wealth, but for its utility. They instead incorporate them into useful items such as cook wear and other useful items. There is no war within utopia unless brought upon by an outside kingdom. If there were to be a war in which utopians were involved they would rather diffuse the situation to prevent blood shed on either side. It seems as though utopians live within a safeguard where they are isolated from the world and nature.

The Arcadian myths on the other hand are more about living within nature and taking what one can to live. Arcadia is a place of death and violence. Though it may not be this way everywhere, it is a main practice of their living. They have well trained soldiers that protect the people. Men hunt to provide food, in which they also enjoy torturing of animals. Compared to utopia (an island in which is protected from many dangers), Arcadia can be a dark dangerous place to live due to the vastness of nature.

More’s utopia is different from that of the golden age of Hesiod, Varro, and Virgil due to the different perception of value of precious metals to the utopian people. Utopians believe gold and silver to be of equal value to iron and other metals, to value them all equally. Because utopians do not value gold or silver similarly as those kingdoms around them, they do not store it in any one location. They do however utilize their metals in everyday products such as pots and pans. Use thus gives the metal more value, which in the eyes of utopians is more important than establishing wealth. The wealth is spread among the people equally so that no one person has more than the next. Those kingdoms that store large portions of their gold and silver in towers put themselves at risk, for their people become untrusting of their prince and senate. There are times in which the utopians see other opportunities in the value of their gold and silver. For example during times of war, they use their gold and silver to hire foreign troops to aid in their battles. To further explain differences, utopians see precious metals for their utility value, whereas Europeans see it as a means of wealth and power. The exportation of gold from the new land provided great power in Europe. It was seen for its value, and those who possessed it felt that they had all they needed in this world. It was the money of princes and of wealthy merchants. Gold had enough power to bring forth the rise of northwestern Europe as the core of the world economy.

Similarly, Hesiod, Varro, and Virgil also believed that there could be equality in the golden age. The abundance of gold and silver in Europe meant there would be no reason for possession and words such as ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ were unknown. Everyone could live as equals because of equal wealth.

The colonists who left England for the new world wanted to settle new towns in which they could practice their own religious beliefs and political views. They wanted their own utopias. However these new colonist still owed debts back home in England for their passage to their own utopias. In order to pay for these debts they paid taxes on everything. I believe that this could be similar to utopia in which the goods they give away voluntarily of which they do not need is in a way the paid duty to their debts.