Essay on Bellamys Looking Backward Utopia or Fantasy

Bellamys Looking Backward: Utopia or Fantasy? Although Edward Bellamys twentieth century society in Looking Backward appears to be the perfect utopia, it could never exist. The very factors that Bellamy claimed contributed to the societys establishment and success are, in reality, what would lead to its failure. The twentieth century society lacked the possibility for advancements in technology while at the same time lacking competition and appropriate incentives. Even if we ignore these faults, we observe that when Bellamy created his society for Looking Backward, he made several false assumptions about human behavior and failed to realize that the only way his society could be imposed would be involuntarily.†¦show more content†¦The first three years of service include common labor during which time a person may choose an occupation. After three years, the person enters an apprenticeship and will finally become a full workman. Until age forty-five, when service is over, the person has an opportunity to move up in the ranks of the industrial army. Under this system, it appears to be quite impossible for young men to come up with new inventions and innovations since they must follow this course in their lives. It is often those who are in their early years who become entrepreneurs, but in Bellamys society, youthful years are spent in service to the industrial army. One critic stated that . . . Looking Backward nevertheless recognizes the need for economic and especially ethical constraints on otherwise unadulterated technological advance and unbounded materialism (Segal 104). Contrary to this belief, if it was not for the supposedly unadulterated technological advance, Edward Bellamys society, with its large warehouses and credit cards, would not have appealed to the public as much as it indeed did. Without advancements in technology, an economys production possibilities curve may not shift outward, and the economy basically will be going nowhere fast. A lack of competition is another fault of the twentieth century society in Looking Backward. Bellamys society is controlled solely by the government. The government is the only producer, the onlyShow MoreRelatedLooking Back Looking Forward Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesIn Looking Backward, Edward Bellamy argued that one of the most significant problems facing America in 1887 was the struggle of class and the values that the everyday citizen lived by and portrayed. In the past, everyone looked after himself or herself and did not live selflessly. The view of honor was skewed and people lived for currency rather than their countries and neighbors well being. A sense of equality is never reached like it has been in the utopia of the year 2000 that Bellamy portraysRead MoreThe Garden City By Ebenezer Howard1813 Words   |  8 Pagesto the unsustainable situation caused by the rise of industrialization. The poverty and squalor people were experiencing caused them to embrace extreme Uto pian ideas. They believed that it could potentially take them out of their current condition. Utopia, though, is difficult to define, but within the context of this time period it is defined as â€Å"a belief in the perfectibility of humanity—a basic goodness in human nature† (Tarlow, 301). By this definition, one of the only ideas of this time period