Utopia: An Island Nation’s Customs and Organization
What is Utopia?
The crescent-shaped island of Utopia spans approximately 200 miles at its widest point, boasting a 500-mile perimeter. An 11-mile gap between its two poles creates a tranquil lake. Numerous ports dot Utopia’s coast, expertly utilized by its inhabitants. Legend suggests Utopia was once connected to a nearby mainland by an isthmus, which was intentionally destroyed to establish the island’s complete independence.
Utopian Cities and Governance
Fifty-four identical cities are spread across Utopia, each separated by no more than a day’s journey. Amaurote, the capital, lies at the island’s center and houses the Senate, giving it special significance despite the cities’ equality. These cities share a common language, customs, institutions, and laws. Land distribution is uniform, eliminating territorial disputes, as inhabitants view themselves as farmers and landowners.
Agriculture and Labor
All inhabitants participate in agriculture, working in shifts on state-provided farms equipped with necessary tools. Families spend two years on the farms before returning to the city, ensuring everyone understands agricultural practices. Farmers also raise livestock and transport goods to the city. Each family comprises forty members, with thirty families overseen by a Phylarchus.
Life in Amaurote
Amaurote stretches along the banks of a large navigable river that flows into the sea, crossed by a high bridge accommodating ships. A smaller river originates from the same mountain where the city is situated.
A magnificent, impenetrable wall and a deep, dry moat surround the city. Visitors are struck by the houses with their perpetually open doors, reflecting the absence of private property. Houses are reassigned by lottery every ten years, and each house includes a garden.
Government and Justice
Every thirty families elect a Syphogrants, or Phylarchus, to serve as a judge. Ten Phylarchus then select a leader from around four candidates chosen by the people. This leader serves for life, unless removed for attempted tyranny. Public office is not sought after, and judges are respected but not taxed.
The Senate convenes every three days to discuss state matters. No measure is enacted without three days of prior Senate deliberation. As the saying goes, “First ponder, then speak.”
Occupations and Daily Life
Agriculture is the primary occupation, but every citizen also learns a specialized trade, such as wool processing, linen work, crafts, quarrying, blacksmithing, or carpentry. Professions are typically passed down through families, but individuals with different interests can be adopted into families practicing their desired trade.
Island-wide clothing styles are uniform, varying only by sex and marital status. Each family makes its own clothes. Workdays consist of six hours—three before lunch and three after. Bedtime is eight o’clock, with eight hours of sleep. Leisure time is dedicated to personal interests, with gambling strictly prohibited.
Family and Community
Families are based on kinship. Married women join their husband’s household, where sons and grandsons remain under the authority of the eldest. Each city is divided into four zones, each with a centrally located, well-stocked market. Family heads collect necessary goods without monetary exchange.
Syphogrants reside in large buildings within each neighborhood, each responsible for thirty families who dine there. Meals are brief to accommodate work schedules, but dinners are longer, featuring music and desserts. Four large hospitals provide excellent care, minimizing the spread of disease.
Marriage and Travel
Women marry between eighteen and twenty, while men marry later. The courtship process involves the prospective bride and groom viewing each other naked. Travel between cities requires permission from the Syphogrants, who organize group trips with a letter of authorization from the prince and a specified return date. Travelers are provided with transportation, a public slave, and oxen, unless accompanied by women, who are considered a hindrance. Travelers carry no possessions but lack nothing. During overnight stops, they practice their trades for sustenance.
Economy
Utopians have no currency. Gold and silver are fashioned into bowls and containers for public and private use, highlighting their unique economic system.