Thomas More and Utopia

“Thomas More is one of the most brilliant, compelling, and disturbing figures of the English Renaissance. He has been the hero of people who, given the chance, would (and on occasion did) tear each other apart.” (Greenblatt 518)

The Catholic Church declared him a saint. Communists saw his Utopia as a blueprint for abolishing private property. Middle-class liberals admired his vision of free education and freedom of thought. People from all walks of life admired him.

He was born in London. His father was a lawyer. As a child, he worked in the household of a nobleman. He was torn between a legal career full of promises of wealth and power, and a life of religious devotion. It took him a while to decide on his path. He loved ancient Greek literature, studied Latin literature, and Utopia was written in Latin. He began writing Utopia in 1515.

The Inspirations Behind Utopia

“Utopia displays the strong influence of Plato's Republic, with its radically communalistic reimagining of society, but it is also shaped by more contemporary influences: monastic communities, emerging market societies, the recurrent outcries of peasant rebels, Amerigo Vespucci's published accounts of his voyages to the newly discovered lands.”

Utopia was clearly influenced by Plato’s Republic. But it also drew from more modern sources: monastic communities, the rise of market economies, peasant rebellions, and the travel writings of Amerigo Vespucci.

A Catholic Writer Against the Reformation

More was a Catholic writer. He was not happy with the Protestant Reformation, and this discontent eventually led to his execution. He was declared a saint 400 years after his death. To the Church, he was a hero.

The Socratic Dialogue: A Link Between Utopia and The Republic

Utopia, like The Republic, is written as a Socratic dialogue. In this kind of text, Socrates talks with others and guides them toward the truth by asking the right questions.

The first book of Utopia is a political discussion about Europe. Utopia is one of the first examples of political philosophy. It discusses order in society, balance of power, and how a city should be ruled. Plato’s answer to this question was a group called the “guardians.” These people are chosen from society; they are intelligent, educated and live together. In The Republic, the main speaker is Socrates, and the main theme is justice. The book is also known for the allegory of the cave. Plato talks about the parts of the soul and five types of government. According to Socrates, the ideal city is an aristocracy, and this is also discussed in Utopia.

The Origin of the Word “Utopia”

Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1515–16 and coined the word ‘utopia’ from the Greek ‘ouktopos’ and ‘eu-topos’.

Thomas More invented the word by combining two Greek roots:

Utopia: Perfect, But Not Real

“It is defined to be ‘an imaginary place or state in which everything is perfect.’”

Today, the word utopia is defined as “an imaginary place where everything is perfect.” Even in this modern definition, there is a sense of uncertainty and contradiction.