A Modern Utopia: H.G. Wells

[poliphilo]

 Wells's Utopia is governed by people called Samurai. Anyone can apply to be a Samurai- which is why they're referred to as  "voluntary nobles"; all that's required of them is intelligence and obedience to a code. Quite how they do their governing isn't explained.

Also they wear a uniform.

And no, they're not the SS, but in real life that's surely what they'd become. The problem with Utopias is they overlook the corruptibilty of human beings. Give a person power and they're bound to exploit and misuse it. 

Conversely, the problem of all dystopias is that they overlook the human passion for freedom and justice.

The Modern Utopia is a sweet book- part essay, part novel. Wells takes an annoying aquaintance along. The aquaintance is too busy wittering about a long-dead love affair to notice how spiffy everything is.

People live in apartment blocks that are run like gentlemen's clubs, they travel in high-speed trains. Everyone is a vegetarian and nobody keeps pets. There is sexual equality (women can be Samurai too) and no racism. The economy is run in such a way that it's impossible for anyone to become filthy rich.

By the end of my tour I was sorry to come home. 

Comments

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

Sorry, my utopia has to include animal companions (maybe not strictly "pets"). ;-)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'd have to think about it. I'm not a great one for pets, but I do like having animals around.

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

You have rabbits, yes?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We do, three of them. They live with us, but they're not exactly pets.

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK then. You'd probably not call Zoe, Mattie, Mango, or our six chickens pets either. And I hope you'd welcome them in Utopia. ;-)

[veronikos.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read Edward Bellamy's utopia novel?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm aware of it, but haven't read it. Wells refers to it occasionally.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

I saw someone state, recently, that libertarianism worked wonderfully well so long as no actual humans were involved. By extension, much the same might be said about all such Utopian visions.