Utopia is a Greek word meaning "nowhere" and was used as the title of the book by the writer, humanist and statesman Thomas More (1478-1535).
The work was published in 1516, almost three decades after the discovery of America, to point out the ideal society.
Summary and characteristics of the work
Utopia describes an imaginary republic ruled by reason and aims to contrast with the conflicted reality of European politics at the time.
The book Utopia , in fact, goes back to an imaginary island in topics considered current until today, such as peace, war, finance, power, colonization and economy.
More, who was an English diplomat, would have written Utopia in May 1515 in the intervals of negotiations in Flanders to defend the interests of London merchants.
At the time, there was a dispute between the Kingdom of England and the Prince of Castile, Charles. It revolved around the Dutch ban on the importation of wool made in England.
Although the story takes place on an imaginary island, Thomas More describes several actual passages from the negotiation and uses the book to criticize King Henry VIII. Other European states, such as France, do not escape criticism.
The island imagined by More is perfect not only in its political conception, with citizens enjoying the efficiency of the State. Religion also portrays the ideal of treatment among men.
Both cases differ from what happens in Europe, which still uses colonization to impose the Christian religion.
More does not fail to criticize the desire for conquest, considering that Utopia is portrayed only 24 years after the discovery of America, now dominated by the British.
The author also strongly criticizes the Army and the glory granted to statesmen at the cost of the blood of their subjects.
Among the many axes of criticism, corruption fueled by money does not go unnoticed by More.
For the author, the administrator who is not corrupted by money performs better and, therefore, in Utopia , money and material riches have no value.
Check out the entire work by downloading the pdf here:Utopia.
Excerpts from the Work
Who was Thomas More?
Thomas More was an English humanist writer and statesman. He was born on February 7, 1478 and was the son of a London judge.
He attended Latin school, but at age 12 he receives a scholarship that would take him to Oxford.
He studied Latin, Greek and legal education. He graduated in law and, in 1504, was chosen as a member of the English Parliament.
He was married twice and had five children. In 1521, More was knighted, and in 1523 he rose to the position of Speaker of the House of Commons, becoming Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1525.
In 1529, he became lord of the Duchy of Lancaster and was pressured directly by King Henry VIII, who broke with the Catholic Church in Rome.
The magistrate declared himself supreme head of the Church of England. Thus, he founded the Anglican Church to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon and marry the queen's lady-in-waiting Anne Boleyn.
More was tried and convicted of treason, being executed on July 6, 1535.
See also:Sherlock Holmes