Is More's Utopia a Product of Its Time?

Sir Thomas More in 1516 first conceived utopia while he served as an ambassador For England on a party expedition to Flanders. In England his vocation was law and he held the position of Under-Sheriff his knowledge in this area is an obvious influence in Utopian society. Utopia is a chronicle of More's fictitious meeting with Raphael Hythlodaeus a traveller who has lived in Island, republic society of Utopia for five years. Almost five hundred years after its writing utopia is still the subject of controversy; it has been claimed by certain political and religious followings to be specific to their ideals and beliefs. Notably both communists and Catholics of the last few centuries have reasoned Utopia to be a statement of their beliefs. This is evidence of how this 500 year old text has inspired the literate world with its inspired and fully realised criticism of not only More's society under the rule of Henry VIII but of every civilised society known to man. Communists have held the consistently topical and idealistic references held within the description of Utopia, and Utopias flourishing society as testimony to the ideals of the Marxist manifesto. Catholics have long maintained that More's Utopia was a direct result of his catholic faith and the belief of a perfect humanitarian world. There is no doubt that Utopia holds powerful insights into the inner failings of society and the prospect they all have to be totally efficient and stable with every person living in equality.

More was a man of conviction and unwavering religious beliefs, unlike many clergymen of the time More was willing to criticise and realise the flaws that have manifested themselves In the church's Politics and their habit of deliberately misinterpreti...

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...ina employing communism were not successful it shows that people are still reaching for that ideal and is a testament to Mores foresight and vision.

Utopia remains a succinct summary of the human condition in both past and present. More's Utopia details the flaws inherent to all societies no mater what the social order, whether democratic, totalitarian or communist. Utopia itself is an imagined and intangible world of human ideals, at the heart of Mores description of Utopia lies the idyllic concepts of all moral human beings. The prospect of the future perfect republic which More dreamt of four centuries ago and is barely closer to fruition today. The fact that Mores Utopia is discussed allegorically and topically in the literate world of the present really shows that not only is it a product of Mores experience of his society and time but a product for all times.