Part VI: Socialist Utopia, But Despotism In Politics! Why?
Dr. Laksiri Fernando
Ambiguity between socialist economy and democracy has been a continuous problem in socialist thinking and socialist movements, unfortunately since Thomas More’s time. There are no signs of resolving the contradiction. This was the case in the former Soviet Union and still the case in Cuba. Even many present day socialist or leftwing parties also reveal many authoritarian tendencies.
In terms of socialist regimes (e.g. Russia, China, Cuba etc.), the problem was identified as ‘socialism’ emerging in backward countries. This cannot fully be the reason. Because it is there within the ‘socialist’ thinking itself. A different answer refers to the ‘abolition of all property’ which goes against the fundamental nature of human instincts and rights. This extreme tendency also was there in Thomas More. The advocacy of a (violent) ‘revolution’ is another facet of the tendency in more modern movements.
The purpose of this part of the publication is not to probe into the reasons for this contradiction. It merely shows how this was manifested unfortunately even in Thomas More’s socialist ‘Utopia.’ The question is raised only for readers’ contemplation. However, it should be noted that Thomas More also had several admirable liberal propositions for governance: fewer laws, elected representatives, secret ballot and contemplative decision making.
Here we are celebrating the five hundred years of Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ (December 1516) by publishing the chapters of ‘Thomas More’s Socialist Utopia and Ceylon (Sri Lanka)’ every Sunday courtesy of Colombo Telegraph and Sri Lanka Guardian. This will allow anyone who wishes to read it, free access to the book. The publication link to the original for those who wish to obtain a printed copy is https://www.createspace.com/4688110
What is published today is Chapter 4 of the book titled ‘Utopia, But Despotism in Politics.’
UTOPIA, BUT DESPOTISM IN POLITICS
“Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” – Plato[1]
Thomas More’s vision and the outline of Utopia show many weaknesses in respect of political matters. The political system in Utopia is explained in different chapters in the book, sometimes inadequately or even contradictorily. In what is explained, there are admirable features as well as distasteful ones. In early sixteenth century England, More definitely had a difficulty in visualizing a system of proper democracy with socialism or something similar in that direction. If his main information was from Ceylon or any other country in Asia, neither it was helpful for this venture.
Referring to its history, reminiscent of Vijaya story, it says that the people of Utopia were ‘rude and uncivilized’ first, but Utopus who conquered them, brought the “inhabitants into such a good government, and to that measure of politeness, that they now far excel all the rest of mankind.”[2] That far it was good. However, what was explained as ‘good government’ in latter part of the book was not always admirable.
Few Laws
“They have but few laws, and such is their constitution that they need not many,” More says. The sufficiency of few laws is explained clearly. According to More, many laws in a country are necessary if the country is poor or some people are poor and if there are conflicts. But in Utopia, “There is no reason for giving a denial to any person, since there is such plenty of everything among them and there is no danger of a man’s asking for more than he needs. They have no inducements to do this, since they are sure that they shall always be supplied.”
More argues that “it is the fear of want that makes any of the whole race of animals either greedy or ravenous.” It is interesting to note that he talks about ‘the whole race of animals’ and this means both humans and other species of animals. Then he argues “But besides fear, there is in man a pride that makes him fancy in a particular glory to excel others in pomp and excess.” This is what we call selfishness and excessive self-indulgence. “But by the laws of the Utopians, there is no room for this,” he assures. It is also interesting to note that he talked about “fear of want.” It is to eliminate fear of want that Utopia or socialism is created. This is the other side of the ‘freedom from want’ that Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), the US President, talked about.[3]
More went further on the subject. “Therefore, they think that not only all agreements between private persons ought to be observed, but likewise that all those laws ought to be kept.” These are the laws “which either a good Prince has published in due form” or the people have consented without any compulsion of tyranny or oppression on the one hand or circumvented by fraud on the other. These are also the laws that “distribute those conveniences of life which afford us all our pleasures.” More argued strongly for a distributive justice.
Minimum of laws is a system that More advocated. The prevalence of few laws later considered a main aspect of a liberal government by democratic thinkers. More also said that,
“They have no lawyers among them, for they consider them as a sort of people whose profession it is to disguise matters and to wrest the laws.”
