"Utopia" by Sir Thomas More

Paper Summary:

This paper examines both "Book I" and "Book II" from More's classic novel "Utopia" which together comprise a treatise on the European government. This paper gives a brief history of More's life and details his motivations for writing "Utopia" as well as his practice of including both fictional and non-fictional characters in his writings. "Book I" discusses the government's failings whereas "Book II" details a society that is structured to be free of these same failings. The writer of this paper contends that the individual characteristic of each book provides a contrast between the reality as perceived by the author and the ideal.

From the Paper:

"A marketplace is located in the middle of each city and all goods are free, with each family taking only what it needs. Crops are grown by the members of the community with everyone participating in their cultivation. Each community is required to produce at least an ample supply of goods for itself, and excesses are sent to places where there is a shortage. Philosophically, Utopians are taught to value work and virtue and to despise the traditional trappings of wealth, such as precious metals, which are relegated to the government and put to humble and decorative uses. Money is not a part of the economic system. Learning is greatly valued, and the population of Utopia is encouraged to use leisure time in intellectual pursuits."

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