Sir Thomas More's Utopian Society

Thomas More’s book, Utopia, was constructed to criticize aspects of European life during the 1500s. One issue that More evaluates is the subject of politics and war. War during this time was used to gain territory or increase the ruler’s power. The Utopians are a peaceful group of citizens that rarely have any altercations occurring upon their island. They have a strict daily schedule that provides a minute amount of time for leisure, resulting in a low rate of problems. So why does More bring up the issue of war, if the people of Utopia infrequently misbehave? More analyzes this issue to exemplify how war was implemented in Europe under the reign of King Henry VIII. In addition, more describes the Utopians’ preparations when they engage in war. More wrote Utopia to provide the citizens of Europe with a source of hope for a new outlook on life.

In his book Utopia, Thomas More examines a society that seems to be the ideal living situation for human beings. The main thesis of Utopia is his solution to many of the problems that are being faced in English society in the early 16th century.

In Thomas More’s Utopia, the elimination of property and money has all citizens working for the commonwealth. It is “where every man has a right to everything. They all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full, no private man can want anything. For among them there is no unequal distribution so that no man is poor, none in necessity and though no man has anything, yet they are all rich” (More 81). More’s Utopia also encourages a balance of power within society. It is where an individual, in a position of power, is not “as idle as drones, that subsist on other men’s labor” (More 7) It is where that individual gives “more regard to the riches of his country than to his wealth” (More 21).

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 “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.

Throughout history, philosophers have tried to uncover the reasons behind people’s actions. Although many philosophers believe in human nature, which is the basic state of humans, there are some philosophers who believe that human nature simply does not exist. There are ideas about why people act the way they do, including assumptions based upon human nature, but the reality is that humans will do what they please based upon free will. Thomas More, a philosopher, envisioned a society and customs, which were outlined in his novel Utopia. In life, people will do what they please, but nothing can ever be completely perfect due to the nature of life and self-interests, which goes against Thomas More’s whole idea of his society.

The Utopians live in a society that is free from the grips of money and hoarding, one that is as close to perfect as one can feasibly imagine. It is a world where people get along together in harmony, with “nothing private anywhere” (More 231). The only have gardening competitions, and even their gardens are not permanent, dying with each passing year. They “change houses by lot” every ten years to keep people from hoarding earthly goods, and by doing this create a society where not only does everyone contribute, and everyone also communicates and relates to those around them (More 231). This happens in large part, according to More, because of “communal living and their moneyless economy” (More 269). Through this revolutionary and ideal living, they create a place where there is no bribery because there is no money, with

Thomas Mores Utopia has more of a community sense. People are forced to believe that the purpose for working is for the good of the public. No matter what a persons status or rank is, they must learn the basics of Agriculture during their childhood. As mentioned by Thomas More, “Every year of this family come back to town after

Utopia- good place, or in other words, no place. Thomas More, in his work Utopia, describes a nation in a parallel universe free from greed, pride, immorality, poverty, and crime; told as a narrative of a well-traveled explorer Hythloday to Moore himself, Hythloday speaks of a nation founded purely upon rationality, efficiency, and perfect morality. Thomas More’s work is no political or social theory, but rather a social critique and a commentary. In an age experiencing political and social struggle across every aspect of Western civilization along with the flooding of ancient and new ideas, Utopia is More’s way of discovering and exploring man’s and society’s natural structures and tendencies, and expressing his discontent towards them- this is shown in the narrative, as the dialogue of Hythloday and More represent his conflicted view between the ideal and the pragmatic. Acknowledging these flaws, More’s work critiques the utopian society from the perspectives of an imperfect man, but also vice versa.

however, differ considerably. The goal of Utopia is to illustrate the maintenance of an “ideal”

Almost every culture has strived to achieve a Utopian society, however, it has proven very tough to achieve. A Utopian society is a community possessing high desirable or near perfect qualities. Several such societies had been to presented to us in class and include, Brook Farm, founded by George and Sophia Ripley, a society which stressed education. Fruitlands, founded by Bronson Alcott, a society which practiced not harming any animals in any way and wasting no materials. The Shakers, founded by Mother Ann Lee, a society focused on equality among all and having a good community.

Religion is something that is frequently studied due to the complexities and interpretations that develop over time. Thomas More is a figure who many scholars spend a significant amount of time studying due to his strong influence and views regarding the Protestant Reformation in England. What baffles many scholars about More is the contradictory nature of his book Utopia, which discusses an ideal society that allows freedom of religion, when looking at the Response to Luther which he published later in his life. As a man who spent the remainder of his life defending the Catholic Church and attacks Martin Luther for his public division from Church, it is surprising More would write something that states varying beliefs can exist in a society that not only functions, but thrives. There are many scholars who have and will continue to

     In Utopia, the distribution of work is intended to be as equal as possible and “agriculture is the one occupation at which everyone works” (36). Equal labor is successful in the sense that everyone puts in the same amount of time for an important cause—food production for consumption and trade. Because property is public, there is no need to have more than what is necessary, creating a low “demand”. Low “demand” means limited supply and limited supply equals less work. When not working, Utopians have leisure time to do as they please without being idle. The division of work and leisure creates a successful balance for the members of Utopia.

Utopia is Sir Thomas More’s seminal work, depicting a fictitious island and its religious, social, and political customs. Working as an advisor to King Henry VIII, More was aware of the issues of his time such as ridiculous inflation, corruption, wars for little or no purpose, courtly ostentation, the abuse of power by the absolute monarchs, and the maltreatment of the poor. Consequently, More used Utopia to contrast some unique and refreshing political ideas with the chaotic politics of his own country. It is important to note that More did not intend to provide an exact blueprint for a perfect society, rather he merely presents his ideas in the form of a political satire, revealing the evils of his time.

Utopia is a classic frame narrative. How does More use frames and point of view to protect himself from the scrutiny of the king?

In Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, Thomas More is a man with earnest respect for his fluidity with his flaunts of the public, he lived in the Renaissance era and was a renowned humanist, lawyer and a personal friend of Henry VIII. In the beginning of the book, a letter is sent by More to his friend Peter Giles inquiring about editing and publication of his masterpiece “Utopia”. The first book “Utopia” summarizes a conversation between More and Giles conversing with Hythloday, the man who was enshrouded by the lands of Utopia.