Modern interpretations of Thomas More's critical and controversial utopia have called into question his messages to 16th-century audiences. Utopia depicts a set of similar ideal cities that work together in equal accord to achieve a liberating and stress-free lifestyle. As the story has aged, new perceptions (developed by scholars and students) have emerged claiming that the work paralleled communist practices. The speculative communism seen in Utopia refers to today's radical communism, of the type that was (and in some cases still is) present in North Korea, Cuba, China, and Russia. People associate communist government with tyrannical dictators, resource restriction, and poor quality of life. The line that separates communism from utopianism is very thin and gray. Although somewhat similar, utopianism and communism are also very different. Utopia best resembles communist tendencies through depictions of working life, emphasis on conformity, and strict laws. Although Thomas More's Utopia shares similarities with the communist philosophy of Karl Marx, More's text is actually an example of Renaissance humanism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Working life in utopia is one of the focal points of the novel where communist tendencies are displayed. Utopians pride themselves on their six-hour workdays. On the island, it is stated that all citizens participate in agriculture. Their population's interest in agriculture bears a slight resemblance to that of Communist China (1958), whose leader, Mao Zedong, required all citizens to participate in steel and grain production as part of a program called “Great Leap Forward” (San Diego State University). . It is easy to see that these people value their work and their style when More tells his audience: "Farming is the only profession in which everyone works, [...] and throughout his life they always carry the same style of clothing” (More 603). This orientation of all utopian cities following the same priority towards agriculture resembles communism's belief that each citizen works regardless of their preferences. When the audience learns that all utopians wear the same clothes, it might be easy for a reader to point out that their neglect of vanity resembles the practices of communism where citizens all look the same. The basic style of the utopian people supports communist beliefs of living life simplistically. By ignoring the different types of fashion, the utopians become (and seem) more united. Another aspect of utopia that may appear communist in the public eye is how these people follow professional rules and regulations. In their working philosophy it is stated that "therefore, utopians hold that one must not only respect private agreements but also obey all public laws that control the distribution of vital goods" (More 616) in order to maintain the functionality of Utopia. . In today's communist society, it is necessary for a worker to be as efficient as possible. Since utopians claim to respect public laws and private agreements established by a higher authority, this scenario demonstrates how utopians and communists are submissive to professional life and think alikein terms of benefits for their professional lives. In a utopian (and communist) society, there is also an emphasis on conformity. In More's novel, the citizens never express a single sign of discontent with the current conformity investments held by the governor and the phylarch. The citizens of Utopia seem to never interact with other non-Utopians when the narrator states, “virtually no outsiders come in” (More 599). This isolation from other territories and determination to remain united as a body of utopians seems eerily familiar to communist North Korea. In this Asian country, there are a series of tests and extensive interviews that foreigners in the country must pass to cross the border. Another example where communist tendencies are exploited in More's work is when it is stated that: "It is a general rule that the more different something is from what people are used to, the more difficult it is to accept for people. » (More 611). This tells the audience that the residents of Utopia should blend in with the crowd and not disrupt the island's norms. This restriction of divergence (in thought) in utopian society is perfectly linked to communism's support for identity. Both companies engage in this restriction activity to eliminate potential conflicts. In communist countries, they see progress in building a united body of like-minded people to ensure the success of their people (Bukharin and Preobrazhenskii?). Since both utopian and communist philosophies value conformity, it is easy to say that living in these worlds would require great practice in the art of losing oneself to a dedicated cause. When it comes to the third (and final) exploration of apparent communism in In the Utopia of Thomas More, one must look at the strict laws that are put in place in the story. Audiences may imagine a communist society as a place with strict rules, and the setting of Utopia is no exception to this common practice. It is common today for a ruler/dictator to take over the earth and rule until his death. This strict practice is apparent in Utopia when it is revealed: "That in the beginning, the entire city was planned by Utopus himself [...] The governor holds office for life. » (More 601-602). As the text of Utopia shows, there is a very strong similarity in the way the rules are set up for the island and for the communist regimes. Although the strict rules regarding leadership are very strict and stand firm, it is also important to look at another set of strict laws contained in the text. If there are natives on the island who do not follow the rules, then the utopians "think that it is perfectly justifiable to wage war on people who leave their lands unused and uncultivated" (More 607), which which is very extreme. By reading this, the audience may begin to develop the idea that utopia may not be what they thought it was. This can be linked to communist Russia or North Korea sending war threats to other countries and considering this to be justifiable as well. Overall, the strict laws of Utopia are strongly respected by their supreme leader and the system does not seek change. As one can see, there are seemingly well-considered arguments that communism is present in utopia. Although there may be many reasons and inferences to support this observation, these accusations must be put aside. It is imperative to understand that Utopia was written in 1516 and the foundations of communism were printed around 1848. By.. 217-227.