Utopia By Thomas More Analysis

Utopia was written by one of the greatest minds of his time, Thomas More. Written in 1516, however its commentary on politics is still very valid and there are many truths about human nature that still apply to modern world. The idea behind the book is “a wish for humans to work together, so that all might prosper.” Thomas More provides a vision of a virtuous society in Utopia. While the society that he illustrates is not necessarily completely ideal or flawless, the society stands as an opposite of his native England as it exists in 1516, the year of Utopia’s publication. One of the most interesting aspects of Utopia is the abolition of private property. This runs counter to the ideas found in the writing of John Locke, who spends a great

For instance, the idea of everyone is learning farming and producing their own food therefore they know where their good comes from and appreciates the effort that was put. It reminds me of how it is a big problem nowadays. The majority of people do not know where their food comes from, how it is grown or the processes it goes through until it comes to their houses. Another thing that I love is the value that Utopian people give to vital things, such as food, and their way of thinking about other materials such as gold and silver. Instead, they give value to learning and the real important goods. Those ideas of More involves a analysis of the way we think and the things we deem important in life. It shows that the things that we value remove a certain measure of our independence and joy in things. Those points that he makes are timeless and shows us that the ideas behind Utopia richer than More’s ideas of the perfect society. It seems clear that More was anything but a socialist, which raises the question, why did he write “Utopia”? Was it a critique of monarchal forms of government? Was it satire? Did he really believe that “Utopia” described the best way to govern a nation? I personally deem that he did not, and that Utopia was an intellectual exercise for More. Utopia does not only resemble the socialist dream, it is also very similar to a monastic society. Keeping in mind that More was, above all, a churchman who spent time in a Carthusian Monastery, it is possible that he was working out how and if a monastic form of society could be applied at the national level. He does not seem to be convinced that it could work; the closing paragraphs leave it in doubt. Utopia also resembles to a socialist democracy. Of course there are important differences between the intentions of More and the dictators that were using communism as a tool to suppress people (such as Stalin and Mao). Despite its socialist