The Utopian Life In America

By Sharron Cantu


Most people desire to live a good life, an honest life, a perfect life. To live perfectly or ideally is to live the utopian life. It is one filled with a passion driven purpose unique to each individual within the community. Once each individual discovers a talent, a way of giving and the uniqueness that is oneself, the individual is on the path to a new and perfect life.

The word, first coined by Sir Thomas More and describes a fantasy island off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Intentional living communities have now taken on the name as have several communes around the world. To live a true Utopian lifestyle is to live a house of peace, love, kindness and harmony.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of communes existed all over the United States. Many on the east and west coasts housed individuals who shared chores, cooking, cleaning, gardening and worked to provide others in need. Today the focus on these intentional communities seems to be more on shared baby and pet-sitting than shared chores and food. Regardless, the other aspects of sex, drugs and rock and roll have also been removed from earlier times.

The word is of Greek origin and means "no place." An interesting meaning one considers that the meaning of the word and the old adage, "no place is perfect." Plato's Republic's paradise is most likely the earliest reference to this lifestyle in print. Some of these earliest forms placed like minded individuals within a single community so as to blend similar interest and retain a sense of peace in society.

When looking to create commune or intentional community, it is good to have as minimal a carbon footprint in the process as possible. Once the individuals are on-site, it is important to discuss the responsibilities and shared talents of the household. It is also important to pick a location that is ecologically sound and in good environmental health. Otherwise, the village may only be completed to have to be torn down and rebuilt elsewhere.

In the 19th century, several ideas arose related to the lifestyle. Social disruption believed to be created by the development of commercialism and capitalism were on the forefront. As a result, communes, garden homes, intentional communities and other shared living arrangements rose up all over the world.

Not often realized, dormitory living in colleges and universities has often been thought of as utopian. While this may be the case, it is doubtful that any dorm is the perfect living situation; While fraternities and sororities have some of the same living conditions, in no way are either of these utopian in nature. Rather, both are often boisterous, loud and obnoxious, everything that goes against the definition of peace.

Andromeda (1957, ) is a film that shows the human race communicating with a Great Circle to create the perfect technological society. The basic idea being that peaceful, loving, kind individuals can build the perfect life. With the economy and other factors, it is no doubt that this lifestyle may be more popular in the future than the past.




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