Quote by William Golding
Utopias are presented for our inspection as a critique of the human state. If they are to be treated as anything but trivial exercises of the imagination. I suggest there is a simple test we can apply. We must forget the whole paraphernalia of social description, demonstration, expostulation, approbation, condemnation. We have to say to ourselves, How would I myself live in this proposed society? How long would it be before I went stark staring mad?
Summary
This quote suggests that utopian societies should be examined as a critique of human nature. The speaker proposes a simple test to evaluate these utopias: strip away all the elaborate explanations and just imagine living in that society oneself. The test is to see how long it would take before one goes insane, implying that most utopias are unrealistic and not compatible with the complexities and contradictions of human existence. Therefore, the quote implies a skepticism towards idealized visions of societies that fail to consider the inherent limitations and nuances of human behavior.
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