Utopia by Thomas Moore: Analysis

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Utopia by Thomas Moore: Analysis

The oxford dictionary describes as “an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. Sir Thomas More first used this word; he was born in 1478 in London, England and came to be one of the most influential figures of the early Renaissance. Not only did he work as a lawyer but he was also a well respected philosopher and historian as well as writer. In 1516, Moore wrote Utopia, a book based off of fiction and political philosophy. Utopia has been with us since the beginning of time – all religions for example has an idea of a perfect place; the Garden of Eden and paradise are examples within the Catholic religion. When Moore first created the word for a book entitles Utopia, the word itself is derived for the Greek ju meaning ‘no’ and toʊpiə meaning ‘place’ therefore the literal translation would be ‘no place.’ However, it could also mean ‘good place’ as eu(topia) means good(place). This idea of no place and good place juxtapose each other and also arise the concept of an ‘ideal’ place being elsewhere – out of the reach of human beings – or just does not exist.

Utopia itself is divided into two different books, the first half of the book talks about ‘the obligations of a man of experience and integrity to play an active role in the service of a country and mankind,’ Moore puts himself into his narrative meeting a traveler called Raphael Hythloday. Hythloday is described as wise and well-travelled however, this fictional character has cruised with ‘the famed explored Amergio Vespucci.’ Vespucci was seen as a fraud to Moore and other philosophers, therefore its unclear whether Raphael Hythloday is truly reliable or not. The second half of the of the book goes into Hythloday’s tr...

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...r of Life." Utopia by Thomas More. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

"Book 2: Of Their Traffic." Utopia by Thomas More. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

"Book 2: Of Their Traveling of the Utopians." Utopia by Thomas More. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

Moore, Thomas. "Utopia Book 2." Utopia by Thomas More. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

"Utopia Book 1." Utopia by Thomas Moore. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

"Utopia." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

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