The Coffee Bean

1. Private property is the root cause of societal injustice and inequality.

Though, to speak plainly my real sentiments, I must freely own that as long as there is any property, and while money is the standard of all other things, I cannot think that a nation can be governed either justly or happily...

The illusion of ownership. In most nations, the pursuit of private property creates a stark divide between the wealthy elite and the impoverished working class. When money becomes the ultimate measure of value, the greediest and most useless individuals accumulate the most wealth, leaving those who actually sustain society to suffer in destitution.

Systemic inequality. More argues that as long as individuals can legally claim exclusive ownership over resources, society will remain plagued by systemic greed. This concentration of wealth leads to:

• Endless legal disputes over property boundaries and inheritance.
• The exploitation of laborers who produce everything but own nothing.
• A permanent state of anxiety regarding personal survival and financial security.

The Utopian alternative. By contrast, the Utopians eliminate private property entirely, ensuring that all goods are held in common. This radical shift removes the incentive for greed, as every citizen is guaranteed access to the community's abundant resources without the need for money.

2. True justice focuses on prevention and rehabilitation rather than harsh punishment.

...if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this but that you first make thieves and then punish them?

The failure of retribution. Society often resorts to extreme punishments, such as executing thieves, without addressing the underlying causes of crime. This approach is not only morally unjust but also practically ineffective, as desperate people will always risk their lives to steal if they have no other means of survival.

Addressing root causes. True justice requires systemic reforms that prevent crime before it occurs. Instead of merely punishing offenders, a wise commonwealth must:

• Provide universal education to shape moral character from childhood.
• Ensure every citizen has access to honest, productive employment.
• Rebuild agricultural and manufacturing sectors to eliminate poverty.

Rehabilitative labor. When crimes do occur, the Utopians favor slavery—forced public labor—over execution. This preserves human life, benefits the public through productive work, and serves as a constant, visible deterrent to others while offering a path to eventual redemption.

3. A balanced life prioritizes intellectual growth and leisure over endless labor.

...the chief end of the constitution is to regulate labor by the necessities of the public, and to allow the people as much time as is necessary for the improvement of their minds, in which they think the happiness of life consists.

The trap of overwork. In traditional societies, workers are treated like beasts of burden, laboring from dawn till dusk to enrich their masters. This relentless toil exhausts the body and starves the mind, leaving no room for intellectual or spiritual development.

The six-hour workday. Utopia solves this by mandating a highly efficient six-hour workday, split evenly before and after dinner. This limited schedule is more than sufficient to meet the community's needs because:

• No citizens are permitted to live in idle luxury.
• Useless, superficial trades that cater to vanity are entirely eliminated.
• Both men and women contribute equally to essential agricultural and manual labor.

Cultivating the mind. The remaining hours of the day are dedicated to intellectual pursuits, public lectures, and wholesome recreation. Utopians believe that the ultimate goal of human existence is to free the mind from physical drudgery so it can contemplate truth and enjoy the pleasures of learning.

4. True wealth lies in utility and community, not the hoarding of gold and jewels.

They eat and drink out of vessels of earth or glass, which make an agreeable appearance, though formed of brittle materials; while they make their chamber-pots and close-stools of gold and silver, and that not only in their public halls but in their private houses.

The absurdity of vanity. Human convention has artificially inflated the value of gold, silver, and precious gems simply because they are scarce. In reality, these materials are far less useful to human survival than common iron, which is essential for agriculture, construction, and daily tools.

Devaluing precious metals. To prevent their citizens from developing a corrupt love for wealth, the Utopians systematically humiliate gold and silver. They use these metals for the lowest possible purposes:

• Fashioning chamber pots and common household toilets.
• Forging heavy chains and fetters to bind their slaves.
• Creating badges of infamy and earrings worn by criminals.

A child's plaything. Precious gems like pearls and diamonds are given to children as toys, who naturally discard them as they grow older and realize their uselessness. This cultural conditioning ensures that Utopians view gold and jewels with contempt rather than envy.

5. Good governance requires leaders who serve the public rather than their own ambition.

...a prince ought to take more care of his people’s happiness than of his own, as a shepherd is to take more care of his flock than of himself...

The disease of royal pride. Most European monarchs of More's era were consumed by military ambition and the desire to conquer new territories. They neglected the welfare of their existing subjects, focusing instead on raising taxes, debasing currency, and waging costly, destructive wars.

The role of the ruler. A true king is a custodian of his people's prosperity, not a master of slaves. Good governance is defined by:

• Ruling over wealthy, happy subjects rather than impoverished beggars.
• Living within the state's natural revenues without resorting to extortion.
• Preventing crime through wise laws rather than executing citizens after the fact.

Utopian public servants. In Utopia, magistrates are elected annually and are forbidden from acting like tyrants. They are called "fathers" by the citizens, wear no ostentatious crowns or robes, and work alongside the people to ensure the smooth distribution of resources.

6. War is an inglorious necessity to be avoided through diplomacy and strategic cunning.

They detest war as a very brutal thing, and which, to the reproach of human nature, is more practised by men than by any sort of beasts.

The rejection of military glory. Unlike other nations that glorify conquest and battlefield slaughter, the Utopians view military triumphs with shame. They believe that true victory is achieved through intellect and strategy, not the brute force of physical violence.

Pragmatic defense. While they train both men and women in military discipline, they only wage war under strict conditions:

• To defend their own territory from unjust invasion.
• To deliver their allies and friends from the yoke of tyranny.
• To avenge severe physical violence committed against their citizens abroad.

Unconventional warfare. When war is unavoidable, the Utopians use their vast gold reserves to hire foreign mercenaries, sow discord among enemy leaders, and offer massive bounties for the capture of hostile rulers. They prefer to defeat their enemies through psychological warfare and bribery, sparing the lives of their own citizens.

7. Religious tolerance and moral philosophy foster social harmony.

...he made a law that every man might be of what religion he pleased, and might endeavour to draw others to it by the force of argument and by amicable and modest ways, but without bitterness against those of other opinions...

The peace of diversity. Utopia is home to various religious beliefs, ranging from the worship of celestial bodies to the adoration of a single, supreme, invisible deity known as Mithras. Rather than forcing conformity, their founder, Utopus, established absolute freedom of belief to prevent sectarian violence.

The limits of tolerance. While citizens are free to practice any faith, they must adhere to a few foundational moral principles:

• Belief in the immortality of the soul.
• Belief in a divine providence that governs the universe.
• Belief in post-mortem rewards for virtue and punishments for vice.

Reason and pleasure. Utopian moral philosophy harmonizes religion with reason, concluding that the ultimate goal of human life is the pursuit of "good and honest" pleasure. They define virtue as living according to nature, which directs humans to seek joy for themselves while actively promoting the happiness of others.

8. Communal living and shared resources eliminate the anxiety of survival.

...but in Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full no private man can want anything...

The end of scarcity. By organizing their society around communal storehouses and public dining halls, the Utopians eliminate the fear of poverty. Every citizen can walk into the market and take whatever provisions their family needs without paying a single coin.

The strength of community. This shared lifestyle fosters deep social bonds and eliminates the isolation of individual households. Key aspects of their communal structure include:

• Public hospitals that provide free, world-class medical care to all.
• Communal dining halls where families gather to eat, listen to music, and converse.
• The rotation of citizens between city life and agricultural work to share the burden of farming.

A life free of worry. Because the state guarantees lifelong care for the sick, the elderly, and the young, citizens are freed from the crushing anxieties of financial planning. They do not need to hoard wealth for future generations, as their children are guaranteed the same abundant lifestyle.

9. Laws should be few, simple, and easily understood by all citizens.

They have but few laws, and such is their constitution that they need not many.

The rejection of legal complexity. Utopia completely bans professional lawyers, viewing them as agents who obscure the truth and manipulate legal language for profit. Instead, every citizen is expected to represent themselves in court, presenting their case directly to a wise judge.

Accessible justice. The Utopians believe that the primary purpose of any law is to clearly instruct citizens on their civic duties. To achieve this, their legal system relies on:

• A very small, concise body of written statutes.
• The plainest, most literal interpretation of words.
• The complete absence of confusing legal commentaries and precedents.

Empowering the common man. By keeping the laws simple, Utopia ensures that justice is accessible to everyone, regardless of their education or social standing. This transparency prevents the wealthy from using legal technicalities to exploit the poor, maintaining a truly equal society.

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