Utopia Review
This is an astonishing work - given that it was written five hundred years ago by Thomas More, a rich Catholic and later Lord Chancellor.
Thomas More begins his tale autobiographically and relates how he meets a traveler called Raphael who is highly educated in Greek language and literature (who is, in other words, a humanist). The rest of the short book consists mainly of Raphael's discourse about the island of Utopia, which is Greek for "no place" (though it might also be a pun for "good place").
Utopia is a country without private ownership and many other features that stood in stark contrast to More's England of the time - and, in fact, to the Catholic Church. In that way the book can be seen as a (sometimes tongue-in-cheek) critique of early 16th-century society. Utopia is truly "no place": a place that does not and will never exist. It is, instead, a literary device for More to challenge his own culture.
These challenges include the way slavery was conducted, the greedy obsession with gold and the oppression of the poor, the complicatedness of the judicial system, religious intolerance, etc. Coming from a rich Catholic lawyer, this truly is astonishing: a satire about the establishment written by someone inside the establishment itself.
Consider this description of religious tolerance, for instance:
"He judged it not fit to determine anything rashly; and seemed to doubt whether those different forms of religion might not all come from God, who might inspire man in a different manner, and be pleased with this variety; he therefore thought it indecent and foolish for any man to threaten and terrify another to make him believe what did not appear to him to be true. And supposing that only one religion was really true, and the rest false, he imagined that the native force of truth would at last break forth and shine bright, if supported only by the strength of argument, and attended to with a gentle and unprejudiced mind; while, on the other hand, if such debates were carried on with violence and tumults, as the most wicked are always the most obstinate, so the best and most holy religion might be choked with superstition, as corn is with briars and thorns; he therefore left men wholly to their liberty, that they might be free to believe as they should see cause."
It should be pointed out, however, that other high churchmen prior to More had voiced similar open-mindedness, such as Nikolaus von Kues (1401-1464). So perhaps such tolerant sentiments were not as astonishing at the time as we might think.
But the method More uses to convey his points is certainly very early for its type. I almost felt that the book anticipated Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," written a bit more than a century later, in which society is likewise being challenged by painting a picture of radically different places.
Which is not to say that "Utopia" is revolutionary on every point. At times the book does affirm a very strict morality, such as state-inflicted punishment for extramarital sex, and it certainly affirms religion as such and obedience to the priesthood. At other times, "Utopia" is quite amusing, such as the following passage about picking one's spouse, with which I shall close this review:
"In choosing their wives they use a method that would appear to us very absurd and ridiculous, but it is constantly observed among them, and is accounted perfectly consistent with wisdom. Before marriage some grave matron presents the bride, naked, whether she is a virgin or a widow, to the bridegroom, and after that some grave man presents the bridegroom, naked, to the bride.
"We, indeed, both laughed at this, and condemned it as very indecent. But they, on the other hand, wondered at the folly of the men of all other nations, who, if they are but to buy a horse of a small value, are so cautious that they will see every part of him, and take off both his saddle and all his other tackle, that there may be no secret ulcer hid under any of them, and that yet in the choice of a wife, on which depends the happiness or unhappiness of the rest of his life, a man should venture upon trust, and only see about a handsbreadth of the face, all the rest of the body being covered, under which may lie hid what may be contagious as well as loathsome.
"All men are not so wise as to choose a woman only for her good qualities, and even wise men consider the body as that which adds not a little to the mind, and it is certain there may be some such deformity covered with clothes as may totally alienate a man from his wife, when it is too late to part with her; if such a thing is discovered after marriage a man has no remedy but patience; they, therefore, think it is reasonable that there should be good provision made against such mischievous frauds." Thomas More's "Utopia" is one of the most influential books in western literature. Within "Utopia" is described an idealized island community upon which perfect social harmony has been achieved. On this island all property is community owned, violence is nonexistent and everyone has the opportunity to work and live in an environment of religious tolerance. Many social movements throughout history have drawn upon More's work for inspiration. While possibly unachievable Thomas More's "Utopia" gives a vision of what could be.
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Customer Reviews
Great book - Aisha Mohammed - Atlanta,GA
This book depicts a great view about the question I have always oindered about a world so scerene so perfect. This book gives us hope. Moreso I fasntsy view of what Utopia really is. Great book for those who have always fathomed a utopic world.
Utopia - Christine A. Paulan - Sandwich, IL
I received this book in a timely manner and in excellent condition. Thank you.
Jun 19, 2010 03:56:05
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