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Utopian Ideas and Social Experiments: A Comparative Analysis

Dive into the exploration of radical utopian concepts by reviewing works like Thomas More's *Utopia* and the Oneida Community. Understand their societal structures, governance, economic models, and cultural influences. Reflect on the possibility of creating your own utopian society.

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Utopian Ideas and Social Experiments: A Comparative Analysis

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  1. CORE 400 Utopianism Class 1

  2. Administrative

  3. Review • Review Lofland and Stark • Are they writing about radicals? • How is what they are writing about different?

  4. Today • Government in Utopia • Labor and Commerce in Utopia • Philosophy, Culture and Religion in Utopia

  5. I. Government in Utopia • Monarchy • Magistrates • Operation of the State

  6. II. Labor and Commerce in Utopia • All men and women learn trades • No idleness • From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs • Slavery

  7. III. Philosophy, Culture and Religion in Utopia • What is the key to happiness? • Religion

  8. Next Time We’ll continue our discussion of Thomas More’s Utopia

  9. Core 400 Utopia Class 2

  10. Administrative • Trip to Mansion House • More items added to assignments links on home page. More detail and specificity and dates.

  11. Review • Government in Utopia • Commerce and Labor in Utopia • Philosophy, Culture and Religion in Utopia

  12. Today • Family life and Marriage in Utopia • Comparison to other forms of government • Contemporary Catholic influences on More • Evaluation: In What Ways is Utopia a Radical Document?

  13. I. Family Life and Marriage in Utopia • How are brides and grooms introduced to each other? Why? • What are the rules about children?

  14. II. Comparison to Other Forms of Government • Incentives • Elected princes and rulers • Simplicity of laws and absence of lawyers

  15. III. Contemporary Catholic Influences on More • No divorce • Treatment of fornication and adultery • Role of priests • Denigration of religions beliefs that don’t recognize an unseen unknowable God

  16. IV. Evaluation: In What Ways is Utopia a Radical Document? • There is no property and people shift houses by lot every 10 years • Certainly no less radical than the Communist Manifesto • Would you like to live there? Why or why not?

  17. Next Time • Begin our discussion of the Oneida Community

  18. Core 400 Utopia Class 3

  19. Administrative • Make sure you keep track of when assignments are due • Keep track of the fact that some work must be done as we go along. See the assignment link for details

  20. Review • Thomas More’s Utopia • How was it radical when written? • How is it radical now?

  21. Today • Background of Oneida Community • Property • Personal Relationships • Religion • Social Control • Evaluation

  22. I. Background of Oneida Community • Who was John Humphrey Noyes? • Where did the community originate? • Why did it move to Oneida?

  23. II. Property • In 1844 adopted economic communism as a way of life • What did this mean? • How did the community support itself?

  24. III. Personal Relationships • 1846 the group began to share spouses • Courtship • Male continence

  25. III. Personal Relationships • Stirpiculture • How were children raised? • Initiation to sexual relations

  26. IV. Religion • Perfectionists • Met daily for various reasons including bible reading and theological discussion

  27. V. Social Control • Community was self-governing • Democracy? • Role of women?

  28. V. Social Control • No crime or delinquency • Mechanisms of control

  29. VI. Evaluation • Bible Communism • Community survived for almost two generations, far longer than most • Never had a shortage of members

  30. Next Time • We’ll design our own Utopian society

  31. Core 400 Utopia Class 4

  32. Administrative • Remember October 15 outing (1-5) is a course requirement • Remember significant part of semester’s work supposed to be complete by September 30

  33. Review • More’s Utopia – a radical idea • The Oneida Community – a radical experiment • They are very different but both reject private property and profit

  34. Today – Creating our own Utopia • What factors would you like to see in a radically better society? • Factors with regard to politics? • Factors with regard to economics? • Factors with regard to religion? • Factors with regard to personal relationships? • Would we like to live there?

  35. I. What factors would you like to see in a radically better society? • Are there particular things you think would make the world a better place? • Are they things that are achievable?

  36. II. Factors with regard to politics? • How would our society be governed? • Are there alternatives? • Why would it be governed this way?

  37. III. Factors with regard to economics? • How would goods and services be produced? • How would they be distributed? • What is the role of property? • Why operate in this way?

  38. IV. Factors with regard to religion? • What would be the role of religion? • Are there alternatives? • Why do it this particular way?

  39. V. Factors with regard to personal relationships? • Any changes to marriage and families? • Why or why not?

  40. VI. Would we like to live there? • Why? • Why not?

  41. Next Time • Begin the topic of political and economic radicalism • Read the Communist Manifesto (in Baritz)

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