As the first lay chancellor of england, he was later executed by henry viii when he refused to agree that the king was the supreme head of the english church. Utopia a utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. He was also a councillor to henry viii, and lord high chancellor of england from october 1529 to 16 may 1532. Thomas more synonyms, thomas more pronunciation, thomas more translation, english dictionary definition of thomas more.
Thomas more, in full sir thomas more, also called saint thomas more, born february 7, 1478, london, englanddied july 6, 1535, london. Anthonys school, in threadneedle street, he was placed, as a boy, in the household of cardinal john morton, archbishop of canterbury and lord chancellor. The ending of utopia is famously ambiguous, and also, a bit anticlimactic. He was a councillor to henry viii and also served as lord high chancellor of. This is described in the book he wrote called utopia. Some of the characters mentioned in this section are contemporary historical figures. A related idea is dystopia there have been many utopias based on politics, economics. Giles is a printer and editor, as well as a clerk for the city. Sir thomas more, son of sir john more, a justice of the kings bench, was born in 1478, in milk street, in the city of london.
More s book imagines a complex, selfcontained community set on an island, in which people share a common culture and way of life. The word was coined by sir thomas more in greek for his 1516 book utopia in latin, describing a fictional island society in the atlantic ocean. View image of the word utopia was coined by sir thomas more more writes of the utopians. Thomas more 1478 1535, translated by gilbert burnet 1643 1715 this book is all about the fictional country called utopia. The term utopia was created from greek by sir thomas more for his 1516 book utopia, describing a fictional island society in the south atlantic ocean off the coast of south america etymology. But this was a pun the almost identical greek word eutopos means a good place.
Sir thomas more, utopia, england, sixteenth century, satire, ambiguity, criticism, interpretation. Enjoy listening to this story about a country that really is too good to be true. Sir and later saint thomas more s utopia is one of the essential classics of western philosophy. This is what thomas more says in the first book of utopia.
For centuries, people have found the ending frustrating because after reading pages and pages and pages of all this info on utopia, we never get much of a sense of what our narrator and author, thomas more, thinks of it all. He held many important jobs including speaker of the house of commons, lord chancellor and advisor to the king henry viii. Utopia sir thomas more 1516 table of contents book i book ii 1 of their towns, particularly of amaurot 2 of their magistrates 3 of their trades, and manner of life 4 of their traffic 5 of the travelling of the utopians 6 of their slaves, and of their marriages. He is recognized as a saint by the roman catholic church. Utopia simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Published in latin in 1516, utopia is sir thomas mores best known and most debated work. On the 400th anniversary of his death he was canonized by the roman catholic church and has sometimes been known as.
The word has been used to describe both a perfect society, and societies in literature. If you refer to an imaginary situation as a utopia, you mean that it is one in which. The word was coined in greek by sir thomas more for his 1516 book utopia, describing a. Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe provides an indepth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols. So at the very heart of the word is a vital question. A utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities. Aug 28, 2011 this is what thomas more says in the first book of utopia. From english utopia, from new latin utopia, coined by sir thomas more as the name of the fictional state central to the homonymous work utopia. On the 400th anniversary of his death he was canonized by the roman catholic church and has sometimes been known as saint thomas more. In more s letter, we read that more is sending utopia to giles for editing and publication. So dont worry if you finished the book with a bit of a huh. He wrote utopia, published in 1516, about the political system of an imaginary island state. The word utopia was coined from ancient greek by sir thomas more in 1516. First published in latin in 1516, utopia was the work of sir thomas more 14771535, the brilliant humanist, scholar, and churchman executed by henry viii for his refusal to accept the king as the supreme head of the church of england.
The first composed for the most part after the second contains a discussion of governance in europe generally and specifically in england under king henry viii, whom thomas more the man famously served as a counselor and at whose hand more was later executed for treason. Arguably one of the first books to invent an imaginary world, thomas more s utopia describes the travels of one man, raphael hythloday, to an undiscovered island that he considers to be the best country on earth. Thomas more was knighted and has consequently been known as sir thomas more through the later years of his life and through succeeding centuries. The term utopia was created from greek by sir thomas more for his 1516 book utopia, describing a fictional island society in the south atlantic ocean off the coast of south america. Thomas mores utopia, a book that will be 500 years old next year, is astonishingly radical stuff. Not many lord chancellors of england have denounced private property, advocated a form of. The fictional characters of the book, however, should not be considered to be direct translations of these historic personalities to the page. He was a councillor to henry viii and also served as lord high chancellor of england from october 1529 to 16 may 1532. Sir thomas more, one of the most famous men in european history, first published utopia in latin in 1516. More versions for more platforms are likely to be introduced in the future. Published in latin in 1516, utopia is sir thomas more s best known and most debated work. He was also a councillor to henry viii, and lord high. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. The conversation also allows a second party the nonenglish hythlodaeus.
Thomas more simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Thomas more english humanist, contemporary of erasmus, and author of utopia, in which he condemned governments as corrupt, and private property. Review download sir thomas mores famous work utopia, published in 1515. He coined the word utopia from the greek outopos meaning no place or nowhere. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away was the commonwealth of utopia. Utopia definition of utopia by the free dictionary.
First published in 1516, during a period of astonishing political and technological change, sir thomas mores utopia depicts an imaginary society free of private property, sexual discrimination, violence, and religious intolerance. Utopia themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. New latin utopia, the name of a fictional island, possessing a seemingly perfect sociopoliticolegal system in the book utopia 1516 by sir thomas more. The first composed for the most part after the second contains a discussion of governance in europe generally and specifically in england under king henry viii, whom thomas more the man famously served as a counselor and. The work was written in latin and it was published in louvain presentday belgium. Utopia podcast by sir thomas more on free audio book. Utopia definition and meaning collins english dictionary. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt to create an ideal society, and imagined societies portrayed in fiction.
Feb 29, 2012 first published in latin in 1516, utopia was the work of sir thomas more 14771535, the brilliant humanist, scholar, and churchman executed by henry viii for his refusal to accept the king as the supreme head of the church of england. In 1516, sir thomas more, an english scholar, writer, and lawyer, published his literary work, utopia, which was a book that explored the notion of a perfect and imaginary. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the sparknotes utopia study guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. Thomas more is a public servant living in london with his family. Utopia a utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities. Mores book imagines a complex, selfcontained community set on an island, in which people share a common culture and way of life. This title refers to an imaginary society more developed in order to show the virtues of a place where private property does not exist, almost complete religious toleration is practiced, and other things took shape which more imagined would lead to societal perfection. Utopia is a name for an imaginary community or society with a perfect system of laws and politics sir thomas more invented the word for his 1516 book utopia. Sir thomas more or saint thomas more 7 february 1478 6 july 1535, was an english writer, lawyer, and statesman. It begins as an apparently real account of one of more s diplomatic missions on behalf of his king. This book is all about the fictional country called utopia. Thomas more english statesman who opposed henry viiis divorce from catherine of aragon and was imprisoned and beheaded.
Dec 02, 2012 this book gave the word utopia the meaning of a perfect society, while the greek word actually means no place. He writes a letter to a friend in antwerp belgium named peter giles. Sir thomas mores utopia explained with chapter summaries in just a few minutes. He was also a chancellor to henry viii, and lord high chancellor of england from october 1529 to may 1532. Thomas more definition of thomas more by the free dictionary. It seems to me that where private properties exist, where all men measure all things in relation to money, it is hardly possible to establish, in public affairs, a regime at once just and prosperous, unless you esteem it just that the best things belong to the worst persons, or.
Oct 16, 2015 thomas mores utopia, a book that will be 500 years old next year, is astonishingly radical stuff. The pace of the material increases as the reader gets closer to book 2. This book gave the word utopia the meaning of a perfect society, while the greek word actually means no place. It begins as an apparently real account of one of mores diplomatic missions on behalf of his king. Arguably one of the first books to invent an imaginary world, thomas mores utopia describes the travels of one man, raphael hythloday, to an undiscovered island that he considers to be the best country on earth. Subtly more reveals more information about utopia, section by section. He never describes a particular purpose in writing utopia. In mores letter, we read that more is sending utopia to giles for editing and publication. In utopia, every citizen has immediate access to the appropriate specialist for medical consultation. May 23, 2019 sir thomas mores utopia explained with chapter summaries in just a few minutes.
This is a very good english translation from the original latin. Utopia is a work of satire, indirectly criticizing europes political corruption and religious hypocrisy. Raphael hythloday, a philospher and world traveler, describes to the author and his friend an island nation he has visited called utopia combining. In many utopias, including that of sir thomas more and the utopian communities of william lane in paraguay, divine peace and justice would only be achieved by a strong central authority with the power to oversee all aspects of society. It is a country with an ideal form of communism, in which everything really does belong to everybody, everyone does the work they want to, and everyone is alright with that. The utopia as a first fruit of the renaissance in england xxxvi iv. Sir and later saint thomas mores utopia is one of the essential classics of western philosophy. The book was about a fictional island in the atlantic ocean. This vintage book contains thomas moores 1516 novel, utopia. For those not familiar with the book, it was the source of the modern words utopia and utopian. The characters of more, giles, and morton all correspond in biographical background to actual historical people, sir thomas more author of utopia, the humanist thinker peter giles, and former chancellor of england cardinal john morton. They think that the contemplation of nature, and the praise.