Essay on Thomas Mores Utopia as a Social Model - 1256 Words

Thomas Mores Utopia as a Social Model In his famous work Utopia, Sir Thomas More describes the society and culture of an imaginary island on which all social ills have been cured. As in Platos Republic, a work from which More drew while writing Utopia, Mores work presents his ideas through a dialogue between two characters, Raphael Hythloday and More himself. Hythloday is a fictional character who describes his recent voyage to the paradisal island of Utopia. Throughout the work, Hythloday describes the laws, customs, system of government, and way of life that exist in Utopia to an incredulous and somewhat condescending More. Throughout the work, Hythloday presents a society organized to overcome the flaws of human†¦show more content†¦Gluttony is another deadly sin that Hythloday claims is easily overcome. According to him, the source of gluttony is fear of a future lack of something, especially a necessity of life such as food. As Hythloday explains to More, For why would he be likely to seek too much, when he knows for certain that his needs will always be met? A man is made greedy and grasping either by the fear of need (a fear common to all creatures) or else (in man alone) by pride, which thinks it glorious to surpass others in superfluous show. This kind of vice has no place at all in the ways of Utopians. (More 59) Others of the deadly sins are to be overcome, as are pride and gluttony, by encouraging the practice of their corresponding virtues. Sloth is to be overcome by requiring the practice of industry; covetousness by the practice of generosity (in addition to the abolition of private property); envy through respect; pride through humility; gluttony through modesty; and lechery through continence (the Utopians punished extra- or pre-marital sexual intercourse harshly). Wrath, which seems to be the lone exception, is to be treated not through the general practice of its corresponding virtue, peacemaking, but by removing the things that enrage people in the first place. Like Plato, who wrote beforeShow MoreRelated Literary Utopian Societies Essays1747 Words   |  7 Pagesthe reality of the next†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nelson 108). Throughout time, great minds have constructed their own visions of utopia. Through the study of utopias, one finds that these â€Å"perfect† societies have many flaws. For example, most utopias tend to have an authoritarian nature (Manuel 3). Also, another obvious imperfection found in the majority of utopias is that of a faulty social class system (Thomas 94). But one must realized that the flaws found in utopian societies serve a specific purpose. These faultsRead MoreUtopia, by Thomas More: Your Wost Nightmare Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesUtopia is a brilliant novel written by Thomas More. The idea of a utopia seems impossible, how can anyone live in a perfect place when perfection is in the eyes of the beholder? The Utopia in this novel is nothing more than abundant of already established ideas therefore it canâ₠¬â„¢t not truly be a Utopia. The abolition of private property is one of Mores chief criticisms of Utopia; it seems to mimic the common understandings of communism, which Thomas More’s character Raphael has been accused of protectingRead More Utopia - The Impossibility of Perfection Essay example1686 Words   |  7 PagesUtopia - The Impossibility of Perfection The latter end of [this] commonwealth forgets the beginning. ?William Shakespeare, The Tempest From Platos The Republic to Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto, the search for a perfect social state has never stopped; its ultimate goal of achieving a human society that exists in absolute harmony with all due social justice, however, has proved to be woefully elusive. The pure concept of a utopia can be theoretically visualized as a perfect geometricRead MoreA Utopian Society By Russel Jacoby1129 Words   |  5 PagesA utopian society is fictional society in which everything from social standards and political ideas are done in such a way that leads everyone to live in a harmonious state. Russel Jacoby, a historian, noted two forms of utopias; â€Å"blueprint utopianism,† which more along the lines of a model or outline of a utopia in which a government could follow, this is the one Thomas Mores book is more likely to fall under, the other type is â€Å"iconoclastic utopianism,† is the one that is much more idealized andRead MoreThomas More s Utopia?1464 Words   |  6 Pages Thomas More’s Utopia By: Jocelyn Torres English 2322 12 October 2017 Jocelyn Torres English 2322 Read MoreA Utopian Society By Sir Thomas More1608 Words   |  7 Pagesperfection, or utopias, have been attempted. Bound by politics, societal and economic factors, and personal endeavors, they perish under the exact terms that sparked their creation. Sir Thomas More, a renowned Renaissance humanist, attempts to defy that stigma through his recollection of an island called Utopia. His ideas, however, are incapable of maintaining a flawless state of content between the expectations and desires of both its residents and government. In reality, More’s â€Å"perfect† UtopianRead MoreSir Thomas More s Utopia And Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1454 Words   |  6 PagesSir Thomas More’s Utopia and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince reflect the ideals of the Renaissance. Their reflections of the Renaissance are similar; however, their representations of the Renaissance also have distinct differences. The Renaissance or â€Å"rebirth† was a cultural movement that accompanied the passage of Europe from the Middle Ages to modern times. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian civic humanist, historian, diplomat, philosopher, politician, and writer during the Renaissance. He appliedRead MoreEssay on Utopia1351 Words   |  6 Pages Thomas More’s, Utopia is one of the most politically and socially influential texts to date. His audience, which ranges from academic and social scholars to college students, all can gain a different understanding of the work and it’s meaning. In order to fully comprehend More’s message, one must have an appreciation for the time and culture in which he lived. After grasping historical concepts, one reads Utopia, not as just a volume recounting a fictitious island society, but rather as a critiqueRead More A Deconstruction Reading of Thomas Mores Utopia Essay1785 Words   |  8 PagesA Deconstruction Reading of Thomas Mores Utopia Thomas Mores Utopia is the bastard child of European conventions and humanist ideals. Inspired by Mores belief in the elevation of human manners, education, and morals, the text also concedes to the omnipresent traditions of European society. While More accepts parentage of the text, he distances himself from its radical notions and thinly veiled condemnation of Europes establishment. Through the use of a benign narrator, Raphael HythlodayRead More Society in Utopia by Thomas More Essay1581 Words   |  7 PagesSociety in Utopia by Thomas More 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 forming his ideas for the country of Utopia, More points out many of the problems that he sees in English society. One of the most striking examples of English social problems that More points out is the punishment