Utopianism and Liberalism
Obviously, the meaning of Liberalism has changed over the years. Now it is people who call themselves Liberals who want the government to have more power over us and take more responsibility. No longer is it based on individualism; instead Liberalism is now based on the values of societalism. How did this happen? What brought this almost complete reversal of Liberalism? It was the introduction of utopianism. Liberalism went from a political philosophy attempting to create rational government to a utopian philosophy trying to create a heaven on Earth.
The word "utopia" can be defined in a number of ways, but essentially it means the attainment of complete satisfaction, some form of heaven on Earth where all wants and needs are satisfied. By implication it is unrealistic, for instance believing not in transient happiness but complete and permanent happiness.
Utopianism can be described as an ideology or set of beliefs which promises to lead people to satisfaction or an idealized, harmonious state. The dream of utopias and utopianism has existed throughout the history of mankind, predating even the ideas of individualism and Greek culture. Almost all cultures have had some vision of utopia. Most tend to be separated from reality, almost a form of myth. Some of the utopias which appear in Mediaeval European literature have trees with meat growing on them and fountains of wine flowing from the ground. But there was no expectation of achieving these utopias on Earth, in life. Instead they were fantasies to relieve the tedium of daily existence. In today's world people buy lottery tickets.
Western Europe's dreams of utopia began to change with the rediscovery of the Greek writers in the 1400's. The Greeks had clearly achieved a higher culture which showed the capacity of the human mind. To the scholars living in the Middle Ages, it seemed as if the Greeks really had achieved a utopia, a heaven on Earth. It was a dreadful misinterpretation. The example of the Greeks brought the ideas of utopia much closer to actual life; instead of being detached from life, a fantasy never expected to be achieved, many of the utopias of Western Europe became real goals toward which to strive, something to be created on Earth. In 1516, Sir Thomas More wrote a book called Utopia, setting the pattern for a whole genre of literature attempting to lay out rational social systems which would bring utopia.
Hundreds of utopian communities sprang up across Europe, and eventually the United States as people attempted to put these ideas into practice. These communities were usually Christian people trying to live their lives closer to the teachings of Christ. Some were tied to a movement within Christianity called Millenarianism. In the 1600's, the Millenarians believed that man was approaching the second coming of Christ and the millennium of peace. A hundred years later, many of Millenarians believed that Christ had arrived and that they were living in the new golden age. The Shakers were one such group. The Amana Society is another example.
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