Research Paper On Thomas More
Thaveesha Udugama
April 2017
Thomas More Essay
Sir Thomas More was a figure in the English renaissance. The Catholic Church made him into a Saint; and his book Utopia was celebrated by communists for many reasons. Thomas More uses the made up world of Utopia to discuss the real issues in his own society in England. More felt like privacy, religion, private property, wealth and status weren’t things that were important in making a society whole or great. Thomas More talks through the character of Hythloday to explain the wrongs of England and the way things were done. By creating Utopia he shows a society running far better than England because things that mattered in England, didn’t matter in Utopia. Utopia was much like England, it served …show more content…
In The Meaning of More's Utopia, George Logan talk about More’s belief that “Utopian commonwealth” was the “best society” (Logan. 5) Everyone works in Utopia. The men, women all work; no one can stay home and do nothing. Everything in Utopia is shared with one another. There is no private property the way there is in England. Hytholday explains how private property is a big issue in England because landlords can do whatever they like because they have the money and the status. He says that selfish landlords give tenants land and in return they had to give the landlord of what they make. But the landlord would kick them out when something else became more profitable which resulted in unemployment. Unemployment would then result in theft because they have to steal to feed themselves and their families. Hytholaday tells More, “no punishment however severe can withhold those from robbery who have no other way to eat.” (Logan.586) Utopia shows that this way of work in society gives people no other option than to steal because they have nothing; therefore they have to resort to stealing to get food. Instead of someone trying to help them, they kill them for committing such a crime. In Sir Thomas More's "Utopia:" Origins and Purposes, Caudle says the way that Utopia runs shows evidence of More’s dissatisfaction with the way the state worked. She talks about writings that were found concerning money around King Henry. Caudle says, “More condemns a king who would tax and fine his subjects to build up the treasury while reducing his people to poverty.” (Caudle.164) The article discusses how the religious and political aspects of Utopia touches upon More’s belief that a country run on tyranny and a country trying to get to the top by pushing their own people down is actually breaking the society instead of building it up. His feeling towards this is easily shown in Utopia because there is no monarchy and money and gold
April 2017
Thomas More Essay
Sir Thomas More was a figure in the English renaissance. The Catholic Church made him into a Saint; and his book Utopia was celebrated by communists for many reasons. Thomas More uses the made up world of Utopia to discuss the real issues in his own society in England. More felt like privacy, religion, private property, wealth and status weren’t things that were important in making a society whole or great. Thomas More talks through the character of Hythloday to explain the wrongs of England and the way things were done. By creating Utopia he shows a society running far better than England because things that mattered in England, didn’t matter in Utopia. Utopia was much like England, it served …show more content…
In The Meaning of More's Utopia, George Logan talk about More’s belief that “Utopian commonwealth” was the “best society” (Logan. 5) Everyone works in Utopia. The men, women all work; no one can stay home and do nothing. Everything in Utopia is shared with one another. There is no private property the way there is in England. Hytholday explains how private property is a big issue in England because landlords can do whatever they like because they have the money and the status. He says that selfish landlords give tenants land and in return they had to give the landlord of what they make. But the landlord would kick them out when something else became more profitable which resulted in unemployment. Unemployment would then result in theft because they have to steal to feed themselves and their families. Hytholaday tells More, “no punishment however severe can withhold those from robbery who have no other way to eat.” (Logan.586) Utopia shows that this way of work in society gives people no other option than to steal because they have nothing; therefore they have to resort to stealing to get food. Instead of someone trying to help them, they kill them for committing such a crime. In Sir Thomas More's "Utopia:" Origins and Purposes, Caudle says the way that Utopia runs shows evidence of More’s dissatisfaction with the way the state worked. She talks about writings that were found concerning money around King Henry. Caudle says, “More condemns a king who would tax and fine his subjects to build up the treasury while reducing his people to poverty.” (Caudle.164) The article discusses how the religious and political aspects of Utopia touches upon More’s belief that a country run on tyranny and a country trying to get to the top by pushing their own people down is actually breaking the society instead of building it up. His feeling towards this is easily shown in Utopia because there is no monarchy and money and gold