Contemplating Utopia: Five Quotes to Ponder This Weekend
The concept of utopia has sparked the imagination of philosophers, leaders, and dreamers throughout history. This weekend, let it spark YOUR imagination - and share these conversations with friends.
Whether it’s a guiding light, an impossible ideal, or a blueprint for social change, the idea of utopia invites deep reflection on what a better world might look like—and how we might start building toward it today. Here are five quotes to get you thinking, each paired with a prompt to encourage meaningful conversation with friends (or in your own reflections).
1. Thomas More, “Utopia” (1516)
"For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them?"
Going Deeper: Does this critique of societal structure still resonate today? How might modern utopian ideals address the connection between education, social conditions, and criminal behavior?
2. Emma Goldman, “My Disillusionment in Russia” (1923)
"No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution… Revolution is but thought carried into action."
Going Deeper: Do you think true utopian change can occur gradually within existing systems, or is a revolutionary approach necessary? Either way, why? How does this apply to current social movements?
3. Buckminster Fuller, Architect and Futurist
"We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims."
Going Deeper: How does this vision of a utopian future put the onus on individual and/or collective responsibility? How does Bucky Fuller’s quote intersect with issues of social class? What actions could you take to shape a future that feels more utopian to you?
4. Vermont's Own, Helen Nearing, “The Good Life” (1954)
"The struggle for freedom is ultimately not resistance to autocrats or oligarchs but to the despotisms of everyday life."
Going Deeper: In your daily life, what are the small despotisms that make utopia seem distant? How might you resist them in small, intentional ways? Do you agree (in whole or in part) with Helen - that the struggle for freedom is ultimately not resistance to autocrats or oligarchs?
5. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Green New Deal Speech (2019)
"Our biggest obstacle is not a lack of resources or ideas, but a lack of political courage."
Going Deeper: How does political courage factor into the realization of utopian ideals today? Where do you see political courage or its absence in your community?
The concept of utopia invites us to imagine, critique, and engage with our current reality in a new way. As you contemplate these quotes and prompts, consider how they relate to your own ideals and actions, and how they might inform your vision for a better world.
Have a thoughtful weekend!
Warmly,
Jack Thomas