Thomas More
Sir Thomas More ranks in the upper echelon of heroes of the humanist movement. His greatest work, Utopia, focused on people's curiosity concerning the New World. The premise of Utopia is a conversation that More had with Raphael Hythlodaeus, a sailor who traveled with Amerigo Vespucci to discover a new land named Utopia. More utilizes the pun of the word Utopia, meaning both "good place" and "no place." More both criticizes his own government and describes a perfect one, a mixture of progressive ideas and those of Plato. In this society, the concept of private property is virtually non-existent. The majority of political officers are elected in free elections, and More believe
For example, silver and gold were not kept in vaults; rather they were used to construct pots and pans. He also opposes the new system of capitalism, and states that evils transpire most when "money beareth all the swing. Even he himself realized that Utopia would not logically work in real life. He intends that all wars be contested on bordering lands, and would be fought by mercenaries. Everything in this society is shared, and material goods are of no particular value. This was particularly imperative to More, for he detested the religious conflicts that split nations. More tries to return to medievalism while integrating the improvements of his age. He, in addition, was disgusted by the incessant warfare of his era, and insisted on little or no warfare conducted by his Utopians. These Renaissance ideas foretell the thoughts of many great philosophers of the future. " More insists on equality, and this equality means that all people should work at a trade, except the few selected to be either priests or scholars. In writing Utopia, More did not write a manual for the ideal society. An important addition made by More to Utopia is that of religious freedom. However, he is to be remembered for his ideas about the need for human equality, religious tolerance, and his certainty that life should be lived for the happiness of each human being. He demeans the citizens of other nations so that his can live perfectly.
Common topics in this essay:
Amerigo Vespucci,
Sir Thomas,
Raphael Hythlodaeus,
real life,
|
Acceptance Essays
