In one respect, the definition of a utopia is quite clear and does not require any elaboration. On the contrary, it is theoretic and generalized, which provides room for individual interpretations based on personal views. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the cornerstone of a utopian world is people’s willingness to use the potential of their brains, which allows for perfection but is not realistic.
First, utopian societies appreciate the freedom as the basic value. This term may be regarded through a religious, economic, or other lens, but in any interpretation, it means the absence of oppression and suffering (Betts). This is possible exclusively on the condition that people are sufficiently intelligent to have no need for self-actualizing through intimidating the other. In reality, meanwhile, such behavior is substantially easier in comparison with constant intellectual development, for which reason many opt for it.
Second, a utopian view of human performance in science, art, or other spheres presupposes excellence that enables creating masterpieces. The latter, in turn, are intertwined with the concept of “geniuses,” universal creators (Brossard 425). The explanations of their existence actually come down to reaching an outstanding level of competence through never-ending improvement. In reality, few people demonstrate such dedication; not everybody can become a genius, which makes their mass appearance idealistic.
Finally, a utopia in literature is a work that targets to ridicule the existing social system, whose imperfection results from that of humans. In the stories of this genre, the protagonist visits an imagined place where people, simply stated, live better due to a different mentality (Vieira 9). Changing the latter in everyone, meanwhile, is idealistic rather than realistic since values and motivations differ substantially from person to person.
To summarize, the central idea of utopia as a genre is the maximal possible usage of the human intellect, which is the key to an ideal world, free from suffering and full of the highest quality performance. This contradicts the reality, however, as people are not commonly willing to demonstrate maximal involvement and devote themselves to reaching perfection; furthermore, not everybody is physically able to do that.
Works Cited
Betts, Jennifer. “Examples of Utopia: Types and Features of Ideal Societies.” Your Dictionary, Web.
Brossard, Baptiste. “Elements for a Theory of Utopia Production.”Utopian Studies, vol. 30, no. 3, 2019, pp. 422-443. Web.
Vieira, Fatima. The Concept of Utopia. Cambridge University Press, 2010.