The Story of Utopias · Chapter
XI explained
This chapter examines the limitations of Plato's utopia, focusing on his distrust of the emotional life and the consequent exclusion of poets, dramatists, and painters.
What happens
This chapter examines the limitations of Plato's utopia, focusing on his distrust of the emotional life and the consequent exclusion of poets, dramatists, and painters. It contrasts Plato's restrictions with the active ecstasy of life in William Morris's utopia, where novels naturally disappear.
Themes in this chapter
Duality of Human Existence
The chapter explores the tension between reason and emotion, as Plato distrusts the emotional life while acknowledging man's sensualities.
The Role of Ideas and Myths
Plato's restrictions on poets and dramatists highlight the power of art and myth to shape society, a theme central to utopian thought.
Characters to notice
- Plato
Plato's utopia is critiqued for its distrust of the emotional life and its severe restrictions on literature and music.
- William Morris
Morris's utopia is contrasted with Plato's, where novels drop out of existence due to life being an active ecstasy.
Key passages
“Plato distrusted the emotional life, and whilst he was prepared to do full homage to man’s obvious sensualities, he feared the emotions as a tightrope walker fears the wind; for they threatened his balance.”
Plato was wary of emotions, respecting physical desires but seeing feelings as a threat to stability, like a tightrope walker wary of gusts.
Highlights Plato's cautious approach to emotions in his ideal society.
“in the utopia of William Morris novels drop naturally out of existence because life is too active an ecstasy to be fed with the pathetic, the maudlin, and the diseased.”
In Morris's utopia, novels disappear because life is so joyfully active that there is no need for stories about sorrow, sentimentality, or sickness.
Contrasts Morris's active utopia with Plato's restrictive one.