Growing Old in Utopia

Growing old was far more probable in Thomas More's (1516) Utopia than in any actual realm of the time. A skilled, educated, and physically fit citizenry enjoyed longevity along with the other benefits of a commonwealth with a rare blend of enduring moral values and energetic pursuit of material progress. From childhood's hour, citizens were programmed for a lifecourse procession through a just and rational society. Generations therefore differed little in attitude and lifestyle, therefore contributing to the social integration of the aged. Security did not come cheap, however. It came at the price of individual expression, intimate relationships, idle leisure, self-reflection, and the free play of mind. The grateful citizen's final affirmation was to die the good, approved Utopian death.