Utopia (World Philosophers and Their Works)
At a glance:
- Author: Thomas More
- First Published: 1516
- Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy
- Subjects: Social reform, Government, Humanism, Sixth century, Utopias, Belgium or Belgian people, Thought or thinking
- Locales: Antwerp, Belgium, Utopia
Context
Thomas More’s Utopia, written during the turbulence of sixteenth century English political strife, presents an ideal map of the political countryside against which to measure existing states. The English word “utopia” derives its meaning from a Greek term that can be translated “nowhere.” To call a scheme “utopian” is to suggest that it cannot actually be implemented. Thomas More invented the term and applied it to a mythical community, then used his account of this community as a means of criticizing certain European social and political practices...
[The entire page is 3227 words long]
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