February 27, 2008
A Nudist Utopia: Is it possible?
Is a nudist / naturist utopia possible? It depends on your definition of utopia. A utopia, as defined by many, is a place where there is some ideal environment and people and where people behave in some ideal way (i.e. there are never any behavioral problems or violations of the rules). The problem is that, when you’re dealing with humans, you’re dealing with human nature and issues do arise in reality. However, human behavior can be improved with rules or laws that have consequences upon violation. In this more realistic approximation of a utopia, nudist utopias already exist, in the form of nudist resorts. Modern nudist resorts work because there is a basic code of conduct that must be followed. Nudist places where you have no rules are also where you can have more behavior problems, such as public nude beaches.
So if nudist resorts are our real-world nudist utopias, why do some nudists yearn for more? I think for many, it’s because they want a more complete society. While a nudist resort might be a nice little utopia, members may never be able to shop, bank, work or do other everyday, “civilized” activities nude. To live a life within a nudist resort eventually becomes claustrophic and limiting to some. So maybe scale is the issue. Cap d’Agde, France is considered the largest clothing-optional complex in the world, many calling it a “nudist city”. Here, people can indeed buy groceries and bank in the nude. There is no good reason something even bigger (a more complete nudist society) doesn’t exist somewhere, and it’s only a matter of time before it does.
There have been many conceptions of nudist utopias in the past and present. Many have envisioned a nudist island, while others, an area within their own country. Some even dream of a nudist colony on mars or other extraterrestrial destinations!
It’s interesting that many general ideas of a utopia and paradise include nudity. These ideas may be of religious sources, myths, legends, real-life groups. These accounts and conceptions of paradise include the Garden of Eden, at the introduction to Judeo-Christian scripture, and the Greek’s Golden Age. Modern dreams of a utopia often include nudity or nudity-tolerance.
Whatever nudist utopias may exist or have existed, the future is bound to provide even better possibilities.
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| The Golden Age by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1530 |
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