The Quest to Find Utopia From Thomas More to Aldous Huxley

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Myhill, Nova

Keywords

Utopia, Ideology, Religion, Huxley, Aldous, More, Thomas, Brave New World

Area of Concentration

British and American Literature

Abstract

In Thomas More�s Utopia (1516) and Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley, the authors grapple with the social issue of accommodating communal and individual desires. Such an idea inspires a range of questions regarding a citizen�s quality of life including how to define happiness and religion. The inherent inquiry that orbits this meditation is therefore, what does it mean to be human and how can societal organization foster these qualities? One of the main areas I focus on is the importance of ideology in defining personal and communal identity. By recognizing many of our values as constructions, the possibility for a larger conception of community becomes possible. We live in a world where the separation between the self and the other is at the crux of all conflict. If humans began to define themselves as part of a global identity, this self/other barrier might cause fewer social problems. In addition to the recognition of ideological constructions, I suggest humankind adopt a new meaning of religion that redefines our existent cultural boundaries. Both of these philosophical reconfigurations make widespread human connectivity probable. Throughout the thesis I attempt to locate the ideological values that make the societies within the texts possible. Furthermore I analyze both authors� use of religion and employ these observations in order to clarify and glorify my own definition.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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