Thomas Mores Utopia Essay - 1115 Words

Thomas More’s Utopia is a work of ambiguous dualities that forces the reader to question More’s real view on the concept of a utopian society. However, evidence throughout the novel suggests that More did intend Utopia to be the â€Å"best state of the commonwealth.† The detailed description of Utopia acts as Mores mode of expressing his humanistic views, commenting on the fundamentals of human nature and the importance of reason and natural law while gracefully combining the two seemingly conflicting ideals of communism and liberalism. In essence, Utopia is a written manifestation of More’s humanist beliefs. Many of these views are vicariously present in the character of Raphael Hythloday. For example, Hythloday comments on the unwillingness†¦show more content†¦More seems to specifically highlight this when describing his Utopian society. For example, More describes Utopians spending idle time participating in scholarly activities, such as attending public lectures and their natural enjoyment of learning. However, More clearly asserts the significance of reason when describing the religions of Utopia. In Utopia, each religion is fundamentally the same, each guided of nature and what is natural. Doing what nature intends, which is established through reason, is the true way of worshipping God, according to the Utopians (More, 2011, p. 2011). This is consistent with the humanist theory of a higher, absolute natural law created by God and thus must be followed by man. In order discover this natural la w, one must use reason. With this in consideration, it apparent that More intentionally created Utopia to represent a society of humanists, one that is adheres to all aspects of Renaissance humanism without fault. However, one may argue that More’s pious Christian background seems to oppose the pagan ideas found in Utopia and the humanistic view of natural law in general. Yet More addresses this concern by implicitly stating that a religion guided by reason is essentially identical to Christianity: â€Å"after they had heard from us the name of Christ†¦you would not believe how eagerly the assented to it†¦because Christianity seemed very like the religion prevailing among them† (More, 2011, p. 85). More attempts to combine theShow MoreRelated Thomas Mores Utopia Essays1404 Words   |  6 PagesThomas More’s Utopia is a work of ambiguous dualities that forces the reader to question More’s real view on the concept of a utopian society. However, e vidence throughout the novel suggests that More did intend Utopia to be the â€Å"best state of the commonwealth.† The detailed description of Utopia acts as Mores mode of expressing his humanistic views, commenting on the fundamentals of human nature and the importance of reason and natural law, while gracefully combining the two seemingly conflictingRead MoreThe Characteristics Of Thomas Mores Utopia913 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1516, Thomas More published the well-known book titled â€Å"Utopia,† where he defined the word as either â€Å"a good place† or â€Å"no place.† In the novel, More described an ideal communal society that was almost unheard of in his time. His â€Å"Utopia,† whose name was possibly derived from the Greek roots â€Å"ou not† and â€Å"tà ³p(os) a place† (â€Å"Utopia), can ultimately be considered a prototype of a modern welfare state (â€Å"Utopia (book)†). This, combined with a lack of private p roperty and other characteristics,Read More Thomas Mores Utopia Essay example1441 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout Thomas Mores Utopia, he is able to successfully criticize many of the political, social, and economic ways of the time. His critique of feudalism and capitalism would eventually come back to haunt him, but would remain etched in stone forever. On July 6, 1535, by demand of King Henry VIII, More was beheaded for treason. His last words stood as his ultimate feeling about royalty in the 15th and 16th centuries, The Kings good servant, but Gods first. Throughout his life, More spokeRead MoreThe Paradox Of Thomas Mores Utopia As An Adjective?1441 Words   |  6 PagesWhen Thomas More penned Utopia in 1535, he not only created a new genre in fiction, he also created a new adjective.   Miriam-Webster defines Utopia as: a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions. An alternate definition given by the same dictionary is: an impracti cal scheme for social improvement.(Miriam-Webster) For the purpose of this essay we will be focusing on the latter; Utopia as an adjective. The paradox of the paradigm of Mores Utopia is that allRead MoreThe Background Of Sir Thomas Mores Utopia2005 Words   |  9 PagesUtopia can easily be called Sir Thomas More’s most prominent and prestigious piece of writing. It tackled complex issues of religion, social status, and politics within the made up island of Utopia. To see why Sir Thomas More had such insight into these issues we must first know a bit about his background. Sir Thomas More lived from February 7, 1478 to July 6, 1535. He served as a counselor to Henry VIII and Lord High Chancellor of England during his life. He was notably opposed to reformation, especiallyRead MoreAnalysis of Thomas Mores Utopia Essay527 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is it about Thomas Mores Utopia that makes it as accessible and relevant to a 21st century westernized Catholic teenage boy as it d id to an 18th century middle aged Jewish women? Utopia, a text written 500 odd years ago in differing country and language, is still a valid link to a contemporary understanding of society, human nature and morals. Through Mores Utopia, it becomes evident that the trans-historical and trans-cultural nature of the text emerges through Mores conscious and subconsciousRead More Socialism and Thomas Mores Utopia Essay2345 Words   |  10 PagesSocialism and Thomas Mores Utopia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socialist ideals have recurred throughout the history of literature; from Plato to Marx the elusive goal of a perfect state has occupied some of the best minds in political thought manifesting itself in literature. In the midst of this historic tradition is the Utopia of More, a work which links the utopias of the ancient with the utopias of the modern. Hythlodays fantasy island draws heavily on the Greek Republic and yet it influenced the revolutionaryRead MoreEducation in Thomas Mores Utopia Essay2638 Words   |  11 PagesThe goal of education is to learn, and in this process of learning and being educated there are some greater goals that are served. Education in Thomas More’s Utopia seems to cater to a larger goal, which is to create virtuous persons and citizens, as they are responsible for attaining a flourishing human community. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest there seems to be an underlying idea of a connection between education and a sense of social control. The idea of instilling among his subjects a sense ofRead More A Deconstruction Reading of Thomas Mores Utopia Essay1785 Words   |  8 PagesA Deconstruction Reading of Thomas Mores Utopia Thomas Mores Utopia is the bastard child of European conventions and humanist ideals. Inspired by Mores belief in the elevation of human manners, education, and morals, the text also concedes to the omnipresent traditions of European society. While More accepts parentage of the text, he distances himself from its radical notions and thinly veiled condemnation of Europes establishment. Through the use of a benign narrator, Raphael HythlodayRead MoreThe Perfect Society In Sir Thomas Mores Utopia790 Words   |  4 Pages What is a Utopia? When people think of the term Utopia they think of an ideal or perfect Society. In Sir Thomas More’s â€Å"Utopia† we are introduced to such a society. However, today’s reader can see that the society More’s mention’s is filled with many underlying problems that make it seem less ideal or perfect, because it puts too much stress on the freedom’s and rights of its citizens. Such an act is detrimental in creating a utopia, because if the citizens are not happy with their freedom’s and