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Eutopia is a rarely used word meaning a place of happiness, coined by Thomas More in 1516. It represents a pleasant state of order that can exist in nature, distinct from the idealistic philosophy of Plato. Eutopia is the subject of scholarly analysis in utopian studies, with scholars considering how complete contentment can occur within a society. A related term, dystopia, refers to a society where misery is prevalent.
Eutopia is a homophone of utopia, expressing the idea of a perfect human existence. Rarely used outside academic circles, this word combines the Greek prefix eu meaning good, happy, or pleasant, with the Greek suffix topia, describing a localized place or region. In 1516, Thomas More coupled this word with a different one, outopia, meaning “no place”, to coin a new term, utopia. While More’s term is used to describe one of many imaginary, idealistic political systems, eutopia simply refers to a place of happiness.
In the context of More’s work, this word represents a pleasant state of order that has the potential to exist in nature. In contrast to utopia, in a poem created by one of More’s fictional characters, the term is described in More’s work as “a place of happiness.” Thus, in addition to being a happy region, this place is also free from the constraints of utopia. Thus, the possibility that it may be obtainable under natural conditions is strongly suggested by More.
Furthermore, More strengthened the ideas contained in his book by distinguishing them from the idealistic philosophy of Plato, who wrote the political masterpiece The Republic nearly 2,000 years earlier. More establishes eutopia as a naturally attainable environment, more conducive to the claims of materialist philosophy than to those of idealism.
Briefly alluding to utopia as an enviable order that can occur within human history, More is actually trying to emphasize the fact that his self-created concept of utopia is utterly fictitious. However, More invented this word and wrote a book about it as a way to make a veiled commentary on the European society in which he lived.
Each of these terms is the subject of scholarly analysis in an academic field called utopian studies. Scholars consider questions such as how a state of complete contentment can occur within a society and how and why it can be undermined.
A related term, dystopia, refers to a society where misery is prevalent. In The Problem of a ‘Flawed Utopia’, Lyman Tower Sargent argues that complete contentment is a condition that human beings must strive to avoid falling prey to misery. So whether or not these attractive ideals are attainable under natural conditions, they are worth striving for.
