Discussion Of Church And Government In Thomas More's Utopia

In Thomas More’s, Utopia, he discusses what he believes a society should look like. Many authors have responded to More in praise or disagreement. While they agree on some topics, there are several topics on which More and Luther have very different perspectives due to their differing beliefs and core values. Martin Luther would agree and disagree with More in regards to government and individual freedom, disagree with society and human nature, and disagree with religion.

Luther would agree and also disagree with More’s vision of individual freedom and government. In Utopia, there is no room for individual freedom, citizens have some freedom until they break a law, then they would become a slave. A slave in Utopia is treated differently than

More thinks his ideal society is the best way to run people, while Luther states in The Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms that there is not a “best” form of government. Luther is not as concerned with the authority of men and more concerned about the commandments of God. Luther and More’s views of church and state do agree. Both Luther and More believe that the church and the government should be separate. In Utopia there is church, but it is not involved with any governing authority. Luther says in The Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms right hand kingdom, the church, shouldn’t be involved in government. The Left hand kingdom, the government, are the ones to punish and to have

The way people live together in this novel is what makes More’s Utopia so different from any other society. His Utopia is structured with reason; it is peaceful with minimal conflict. The people of Utopia are not greedy. They have no need or want for luxury or excess money. All citizens must learn how to farm and work 6 hours a day. They do have the opportunity to advance somewhat in the community: “When you’ve learned one trade properly, you can, if you like, get permission to learn another- and when you’re an expert in both, you can practice whichever you prefer, unless one is more essential to the public” (More 56). All citizens have housing with the ability to grow food and have equal amounts of everything. This creates contentedness among the society they live in community with one another, taking only what one needs. For the most part everyone is on equal playing ground. The reason behind this practice seems to ensure that they all have plentiful resources and to meet their needs. The major difference between More and Luther is their views on human nature. More thinks people are good and not greedy. He takes away everything that could possibly make them greedy or anything that makes up a unique individual. Luther believes human’s nature is inherently bad and that we are only good when we read scripture and obey God’s commandments. More’s society would ideally work for Luther’s beliefs because of his