Utopian Shire

[The Might]

So as to celebrate my recent return to the BW I decided to start an interesting thread here. The idea for the topic came to me while reading an essay on utopian societies, which immediately made me think of Hobbits.

Here is an excerpt of the essay:

The only real ideal that humanity should have is simply this: “Love your neighbor as your self”. Humanity’s known this maxim since time immemorial; since the first tribe discovered that the only way they could indeed stay together was through cooperation! And actually that’s all it really is – cooperation. Why is cooperation really that hard to achieve?

Well, what do we have to have in order to create cooperation? Firstly, cooperation is between people. Secondly, it’s between people who trust each other. “There be the rub”, as Shakespeare would say!

Trust is indeed a problem; we see the consequences of its loss all around us, everywhere we turn, in this, so called, “enlightened” society of ours. You see, when we say we trust someone, we expect that they in turn trust us, and visa versa; each person in this relationship expects something in return… namely,… you got it, … trust! But that old maxim that we spouted above, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, doesn’t say that you should love him because he loves you, or that you should expect anything at all in return! It just says “Love him or her” period! Of course “loving”, him or her, assumes giving, him or her, your trust and cooperation.

I find it beautifully written and with a lot of truth in it.

It was by reading this that I realised what makes Hobbits so special really - it is their trust and their desire to cooperate.

Now, of course there are examples against this, Hobbits fearful or mistrustful of others, but really deep down, in need they would all stand united against a common foe - take Lobelia's example of attacking a Ruffian with an umbrella.

All in all, Hobbits, were happy to help and to work together for the common good, and although they of course all had their personal interests and wanted to get something for themselves, they didn't neglect the needs of others.

Of course an example the true utopian Shire is the coming of Saruman and the ruffians - it showed that under threat Hobbits would side with aggressors and neglect their own kin, an argument this could of course be their actual lack of knowledge as far as attacks from the outside are concerned.

Ok, that's about all I had to say in the introductory post, what I wish to add at the end is that this thread is supposed to be about a utopian Shire in general and about the abstract values that helped create it not about what utopian system is best or something else.

Have fun posting, I'm looking forward to reading your replies!