Utopia: The Influential Classic
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- Author：Thomas More
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Summary
What we can learn from a Renaissance nowhere
In 1516， a book was published in Latin with the enigmatic Greek-derived word as its title。 Utopia--which could mean either "good-place" or "no-place"--gives a traveler's account of a newly discovered island somewhere in the New World where the inhabitants enjoy a social order based purely on natural reason and justice。 As the traveler describes the harmony， prosperity， and equality found there， a dramatic contrast is drawn between the ideal community he portrays and the poverty， crime， and often frightening political conditions of 16th century Europe。 Written by Sir Thomas More （1477-1535）--then a rising intellectual star of the Renaissance and ultimately the advisor and friend of Henry VIII who was executed for his devoutly Catholic opposition to the king--Utopia is as complex as its author。
In the form of a Platonic dialogue， Utopia explores topics such as money， property， crime， education， religious tolerance， euthanasia， and feminism。 Claimed as a paean to communism （Lenin had More's name inscribed on a statue in Moscow） as often as it has been seen as a defense of traditional medieval values， Utopia began the lineage of utopian thinkers who use storytelling to explore new possibilities for human society--and remains as relevant today as when it was written in Antwerp 500 years ago。
Explore the issues like feminism， euthanasia， and equality through Renaissance eyes Early communist tract or a defense of medieval values？ You decide。 Peer inside the enigmatic mind of the man who dared stand up to Henry VIII Appreciate the postmodern possibilities of Platonic dialogue Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon， this edition features an introduction from writer， economist， and historian Niall Kishtainy。
In 1516， a book was published in Latin with the enigmatic Greek-derived word as its title。 Utopia--which could mean either "good-place" or "no-place"--gives a traveler's account of a newly discovered island somewhere in the New World where the inhabitants enjoy a social order based purely on natural reason and justice。 As the traveler describes the harmony， prosperity， and equality found there， a dramatic contrast is drawn between the ideal community he portrays and the poverty， crime， and often frightening political conditions of 16th century Europe。 Written by Sir Thomas More （1477-1535）--then a rising intellectual star of the Renaissance and ultimately the advisor and friend of Henry VIII who was executed for his devoutly Catholic opposition to the king--Utopia is as complex as its author。
In the form of a Platonic dialogue， Utopia explores topics such as money， property， crime， education， religious tolerance， euthanasia， and feminism。 Claimed as a paean to communism （Lenin had More's name inscribed on a statue in Moscow） as often as it has been seen as a defense of traditional medieval values， Utopia began the lineage of utopian thinkers who use storytelling to explore new possibilities for human society--and remains as relevant today as when it was written in Antwerp 500 years ago。
Explore the issues like feminism， euthanasia， and equality through Renaissance eyes Early communist tract or a defense of medieval values？ You decide。 Peer inside the enigmatic mind of the man who dared stand up to Henry VIII Appreciate the postmodern possibilities of Platonic dialogue Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon， this edition features an introduction from writer， economist， and historian Niall Kishtainy。
Reviews
Michael Barros
，
I wouldn’t want to live there。
Anonymous4999
，
Thomas More's exploration of the perfect society is an interesting read although I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with the conclusions he drew。The Utopians live in a society where abundance is the norm， money does not exist， gold and silver are not valued like they are elsewhere and where everyone works less and has more time to develop and self-actualize。 While some of the ideas presented in the book sound great on paper， the implementation of these ideas seems impractical or impla Thomas More's exploration of the perfect society is an interesting read although I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with the conclusions he drew。The Utopians live in a society where abundance is the norm， money does not exist， gold and silver are not valued like they are elsewhere and where everyone works less and has more time to develop and self-actualize。 While some of the ideas presented in the book sound great on paper， the implementation of these ideas seems impractical or implausible。 It seems less like Utopia works because of its structure and more because its inhabitants are supernaturally virtuous， detracting from it and turning what is otherwise a piece of philosophical fiction into just plain old fiction。If we compare Utopia to dystopic literature such as 1984， Brave New World， Fahrenheit 451， etc。 a pattern emerges， we realize that what the authors are writing about is merely slightly different versions of the societies they were living in at the time。 Hence it's natural that More's Utopia is feudal in nature， while Orwell's， Huxley's and Bradbury's dystopias are thoroughly modern， this simply belies the fact that its hard to think of truly different or alien societies。Unfortunately， it feels like Utopia is more of an abstract thought experiment than a workable solution to the imperfect nature of human societies， hence the connotations of utopia and utopic as an unreachable state of being。Still， there is value in reading his work， if only to connect with the conception of what a perfect civilization would look like of our forefathers。 。。。more
Aytan
，
Книжка веет коммунистическими идеалами， местами противоречит。 У меня другое представление об утопии， но пару пунктов могли бы туда подойти。 Стоит не забывать， что написана работа очень давно （15-16 век） и не осуждать её по современным меркам （приходится закрывать глаза на некоторые бессмысленные моменты）。 В начале мне нравился слог， но ближе к середине начало напоминать больше лекцию。 Сделала ниже краткий пересказ основных пунктов （упоминание для тех， кто боится спойлеров）。Автор-рассказчик повес Книжка веет коммунистическими идеалами， местами противоречит。 У меня другое представление об утопии， но пару пунктов могли бы туда подойти。 Стоит не забывать， что написана работа очень давно （15-16 век） и не осуждать её по современным меркам （приходится закрывать глаза на некоторые бессмысленные моменты）。 В начале мне нравился слог， но ближе к середине начало напоминать больше лекцию。 Сделала ниже краткий пересказ основных пунктов （упоминание для тех， кто боится спойлеров）。Автор-рассказчик повествует о диалоге с Рафаилом， с которым его познакомил друг Пётр。 Рафаил рассказывает о народе утопийцев и их стране и обычаях。 （до этого первые два убеждают мудрого Рафаила служить при правителе， быть полезным философом， но тот делится опытом и объясняет почему ему это не интересно）。ТРУД И ЗЕМЛЕДЕЛИЕ Утопом разделен。 чтобы не быть позорным между простыми и солдатамиВ деревнях в домах живут люди по очереди， （20 из 40 членов семьи каждый год меняются с городскими， чтобы тех обучали земледелию）Все необходимое просят у города， властейСоздают про запас для соседейГОРОДАВсе города похоже друг на друга， самый известный Амауротавода сама опресняется благодаря разумному устройству городу у рекидвери не закрываются， ведь частной собственности нет дома меняют по жребию каждые 10 летДОЛЖНОСТИ30 семейств избирают - должностное лицо （сифогрант） на год， 10 таких должн лиц управляются 1 транибором （ежегодно）200 сифогрант тайным голосованием изб ирают - князя （из 4 выдвинутых народом） на всю жизнь， если он не станет тираномЗа три дня до принятия решения оно обсуждается в сенате， но на первом слушании откладывается на день для обдумывания всемиРЕМЕСЛАЗемледелие для всеходно спец ремесло （например пряжа шерсти）одежда у всех одинаковая， практичная 6 из 24 часов на работупредрассветные часы - лекциичас после ужина в забавахизбранные обучаются наукам и не работаютизобилие во всем из-за труда всехОБ ОБЩЕНИИ10-16 взрослых в каждой семьеЖены прислуживают мужьям， дети родителям и вообще младшие старшимработы во дворце для обеда общего выполняются рабами и женщинамиО ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯХ отпрашиваются у князянедостаток одного в одной части страны исполняется другой и наоборотденьгами не пользуются， хранят на иноземных солдат в случае необходимостиу опозоривших себя весят золото и серебросчастье это смесь философии религии и разумаИСТИННЫЕ УДОВОЛЬСТВИЯ Делятся на для духа （ созерцание истины， воспоминание о приятно прожитой жихни， надежда на блаженство после смерти， упражнения добродетили） и для тела （пища и питье， здоровье）ценят красоту， силу и проворство， и удовольствия через слух， зрение и обоняниеО РАБАХ:За позорное деяние обращают своего гражданина в рабстволюди из других народов， сами желающие быть таковымилучше согласиться умереть， чем жить в муке， но никто не заставляетк дурачкам относятся с юмором， но добротойО ВОЙНЕ: законов очень мало， чтобы все могли их пониматьв договоры не вступают с другими народами （узы природы крепче）своих друзей защищают жестче чем себя， тк ценят граждан， денежные обиды слишком мелки для наал войныпытаются убить главаря другой страны нежели начинать войнувоевать не заставляют никогоперемирие соблюдают святоБРАКобычай перед свадьбой смотреть голыми друг на другаодна женаразвод редокО РЕЛИГИИразнообразие， уважают всехпытаются не оскорбитьуниверсальные для всех сект молитвы и храмыприняли христианство многие после прихода рассказчика и его знакомыхсвященники уважаются и не подлежат суду обществаО СМЕРТИ из больных они оплакивают всех， а из покойников никого， кроме тех， кто， по их наблюдению， расстается с жизнью со страхом и против воли。мертвые пребывают среди живых， наблюдая за их словами и деяниямВысмеивают приметы， но верят в чудеса 。。。more
Jackie
，
Though made in 1967， this translation holds up to modern language while seemingly true to the original intent。 There is an extensive glossary and reference section， which provides the context of More’s world and experience。 An Appendix also illuminates More’s own feelings on communism， as this is not clearly stated at the conclusion of Raphael’s monologue and some of his additional works further cloud his views for the audience。 If your a looking for a clear， concise well documented translation Though made in 1967， this translation holds up to modern language while seemingly true to the original intent。 There is an extensive glossary and reference section， which provides the context of More’s world and experience。 An Appendix also illuminates More’s own feelings on communism， as this is not clearly stated at the conclusion of Raphael’s monologue and some of his additional works further cloud his views for the audience。 If your a looking for a clear， concise well documented translation of Utopia， I would recommend this Penguin Classics translation。The story itself is interesting in that it reveals how similar the issues of 15th century society are to the issues of modern day。 However， there is little commentary on society in this book that hasn’t been better achieved by more modern works （recognizing most similar modern works were influenced by Utopia）。 For example， I find Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” more compelling。 The entire story is heavily influenced by More’s white， male Catholicism， which condones slavery and wholesale feminine submission and fails to acknowledge the religious corruption present in the 15th century。 That said， the treatment of slaves and women advocated for in Raphael’s narrative was no doubt progressive for the time。Utopia is written much like a book report， so don’t pick it up if you are looking for an engaging narrative。 It is a quick read if you want to read a classic for the sake of saying so and aren’t ready for The Republic。 。。。more
Eric Althoff
，
I mean， sure， if you have some time to peruse one of the "great" philosophical works of Western letters， go for it。 Thomas Moore， by way of a conversation， takes us to the mythical island of Utopia， where everyone has a fulfilling job and enough to eat， where disputes are solved by a wise council， and where wars are only undertaken either to defend the island or come to the aid of allies （not much different from now）。 Oh， and where women know their place and treat their husbands as "lords。" Ahem I mean， sure， if you have some time to peruse one of the "great" philosophical works of Western letters， go for it。 Thomas Moore， by way of a conversation， takes us to the mythical island of Utopia， where everyone has a fulfilling job and enough to eat， where disputes are solved by a wise council， and where wars are only undertaken either to defend the island or come to the aid of allies （not much different from now）。 Oh， and where women know their place and treat their husbands as "lords。" Ahem。What's to learn here？ Well， knowing what we know of Moore's grim fate at the hands of Henry VIII， we can't help but cast a knowing eye at "Utopia"'s display of a proto-communist state—surely anathema to both the Crown and the Church。 Thus what's most interesting about the text is what it *doesn't* say: Namely that Moore is setting up a conversation about governance and fairness that we are still having。 If he was vouching for communism， that was probably more heretical than anything that eventually got him executed for not bowing to Henry's crowning of himself as head of a new Church of England。So yeah， if you have nothing better to do， pick it up—or read it a few pages a day， as I did， while trying not to nod off。 The best thing about "Utopia" is the conversations and philosophical arguments it makes—which are better discussed with peers。 But it had to start somewhere。 。。。more
Madeline
，
Will I take this as a political manifesto as opposed to a moral allegory？ Yes， yes I will。
Tanroop
，
Thomas More's （1478-1535） Utopia makes for good reading even half a millennium after it was first published。 It is， perhaps， more useful as a historical document， mercilessly critical of 1500s Europe， than it is a blueprint for imagining a better world in the 21st century。 That being said， I still really enjoyed this。 The structure of the work is one of its great strengths。 More writes of a fictitious meeting he had with a sailor who travelled to the New World and saw the island of Utopia， where Thomas More's （1478-1535） Utopia makes for good reading even half a millennium after it was first published。 It is， perhaps， more useful as a historical document， mercilessly critical of 1500s Europe， than it is a blueprint for imagining a better world in the 21st century。 That being said， I still really enjoyed this。 The structure of the work is one of its great strengths。 More writes of a fictitious meeting he had with a sailor who travelled to the New World and saw the island of Utopia， where he had occasion to learn of the people and their customs。 The majority of the book is the description that this sailor， Raphael， gives to More about Utopia， and I found the narrative structure engaging。 More uses this imagined island's virtues as a literary foil to critique European societies， his native England included。 （Perhaps the greatest compliment paid to this work is that it was banned by Henry VIII's censors， as More's critiques were not very well concealed despite some half-hearted attempts。） More's description of Utopia is quite colorful and imaginative。 He discusses the big questions; analyzing the way they govern themselves， educate their children， the structure of their economy， criminal justice， and more。 He also delves into less relevant， but still entertaining， details like the way priests in Utopia dress or the way they incite discord and encourage assassinations among their enemies during times of war。 Of course， the work does bear clear imprints of its time。 Despite More's humanism， even in Utopia he is unable to envision a society without slavery and patriarchy （even though he does imagine more humane versions of these institutions than those in existence at the time）。 Utopia has religious toleration， but atheists are ostracized。 He also exhibits a moralism that sees him write about the importance of preventing gambling and card games， moderation in drink， etc。 and I didn't find those sections particularly interesting。 The prose is also sometimes a bit dated， with sentences that go on so long that it can be difficult to follow， but this is not a major problem。The central pillar of Utopia's moderation， peace， and good governance is a complete disdain for personal wealth。 More goes to great lengths to emphasize the fact that the Utopians see no worth in gold or silver， find money to be of little use， and cherish their highly equitable social order in which all are content and provided for。 Of course， the nature of More's narrative is such that he is able to create a perfect world for the Utopians to inhabit- they are safe from invasion because of geographical safeguards， they have either cowed or befriended their neighbors， and they seem to have the highest degree of tranquility and civic virtue。 This means that his Utopia is， as the literal Greek translation goes， "no place"。 But to dismiss the noble urge to envision a perfect， or at least far more just and humane， world would be a mistake。 Striving towards， or even imagining， a more perfect- perhaps unachievable- world is surely preferable to merely resigning oneself and accepting the state of things。 At the very least， thinking seriously of alternatives can help draw attention to the existing shortcomings of a given society or system。 In that sense， More's work is admirable and worth reading。 ‘Therefore I must say that， as I hope for mercy， I can have no other notion of all the other governments that I see or know， than that they are a conspiracy of the rich who， on pretence of managing the public， only pursue their private ends， and devise all the ways and arts they canfind out; first， that they may， without danger， preserve all that they have so ill-acquired， and then， that they may engage the poor to toil and labour for them at as low rates as possible， and oppress them as much as they please。。。[for] the [Utopians， the] use as well as the desire of moneybeing extinguished， much anxiety and great occasions of mischief is cut off with it， and who does not see that the frauds， thefts， robberies， quarrels， tumults， contentions， seditions， murders， treacheries， and witchcrafts， which are， indeed， rather punished than restrained by the severities oflaw， would all fall off， if money were not any more valued by the world？" 。。。more
Christie Wessels
，
I'm glad I read it。 If I were to imagine a fictional perfect land， it would not look much like Thomas More's "Noplace"， but it is interesting to see his conception of how an ideal community might live。 I'm glad I read it。 If I were to imagine a fictional perfect land， it would not look much like Thomas More's "Noplace"， but it is interesting to see his conception of how an ideal community might live。 。。。more
Eduardo Fuentes
，
viajando。。。 interesante， especialmente en su visión de la multiplicidad del trabajo llevada a cabo por todos
Lesgo
，
Meh pek mantıklı bir ütopya değil。
Toria
，
3。7 stars。 Thomas More was an i think important figure in Queen Elizabeth I court in the 1500s。 The things I've previously knew about him have been from the fictions book my Hillary Mantel。 Utopia is a fiction book by Thomas More where Utopia is the perfect civilisation with out war or poverty。 Not the most enjoyable or entertaining works of fiction out dear but the history context of it alone is fascinating and its very cool that I was able to consume the story from the comfort of my phone。 3。7 stars。 Thomas More was an i think important figure in Queen Elizabeth I court in the 1500s。 The things I've previously knew about him have been from the fictions book my Hillary Mantel。 Utopia is a fiction book by Thomas More where Utopia is the perfect civilisation with out war or poverty。 Not the most enjoyable or entertaining works of fiction out dear but the history context of it alone is fascinating and its very cool that I was able to consume the story from the comfort of my phone。 。。。more
Dirk
，
More's Utopia didn't fascinate me so much for its content， as it describes a blend of a monastic and socialist type of society， completely unrealistic in my view， but I did find the context intriguing。 It is unclear what More's message is here: is this the kind of society that he truly believed in， or was this a critique？ Is the book written from the standpoint of a fictional adventurer as More didn't believe in his dream society himself or was it a way to divert any responsibility for its conte More's Utopia didn't fascinate me so much for its content， as it describes a blend of a monastic and socialist type of society， completely unrealistic in my view， but I did find the context intriguing。 It is unclear what More's message is here: is this the kind of society that he truly believed in， or was this a critique？ Is the book written from the standpoint of a fictional adventurer as More didn't believe in his dream society himself or was it a way to divert any responsibility for its content to the fictional character？ To this day this is still unclear。 Though a short book， the pretty literal translation I read （it was originally written in Latin and published for the first time in Leuven by Erasmus） was old english and therefor a very hard and unpleasant。 。。。more
Laia Pérez
，
so the fact is: fuck capitalism
Andrea Briceño
，
Good to know where the utopian ideology generated。 I'm still having a really hard time connecting with the classics and find them rather dull。 Good to know where the utopian ideology generated。 I'm still having a really hard time connecting with the classics and find them rather dull。 。。。more
Eylem Ekinci
，
If I found someone now who is labelled as the most aegyptopithecus person ever， I am a hundred percent sure， he would write less conflicting utopia fiction， would be also more logical the result also less shallow and would be more readable， worth to be read too。 There should be said nothing extra about this bullshit stupidity。 The writer even forgot what he had said two pages ago and defend opposite or delineate same people in a reverse situation。
Adrián Viéitez
，
«A Tomás Moro， en efecto， debemos esta isla。 Ha sido él quien ha propuesto a nuestro tiempo el ejemplo de una vida feliz con la invitación a vivirla。 [。。。]»（Guillermo Budé en una carta a Pedro Gilles， doc。 previos a 'Utopía' en la edición de Alianza）。 «A Tomás Moro， en efecto， debemos esta isla。 Ha sido él quien ha propuesto a nuestro tiempo el ejemplo de una vida feliz con la invitación a vivirla。 [。。。]»（Guillermo Budé en una carta a Pedro Gilles， doc。 previos a 'Utopía' en la edición de Alianza）。 。。。more
Mister Ipek
，
This is the book which introduced me to Socialism。 I still think it is okay to read if you want to understand Utopian Socialism。 Thomas More tries to build an abstract society in which all flaws of modern civilization are eliminated。
Emma :）
，
Read this for school and it was actually really fascinating。
Sharon Maarka
，
Utopia illustrates the perfect place Thomas More envisioned in the 16th century。 In many ways the ideas prescribed in this philosophical semi-fictional work has become the base for Marxist movements of Socialism and Communalism。 Creating a fictional character Raphael， More begins an imaginary argument with the character who counters through his experience in the perfect （and fictional ） Utopia。 Some of the ideas like Gold having no utilitarian value and must be used to stop wars and religious to Utopia illustrates the perfect place Thomas More envisioned in the 16th century。 In many ways the ideas prescribed in this philosophical semi-fictional work has become the base for Marxist movements of Socialism and Communalism。 Creating a fictional character Raphael， More begins an imaginary argument with the character who counters through his experience in the perfect （and fictional ） Utopia。 Some of the ideas like Gold having no utilitarian value and must be used to stop wars and religious tolerance of worshipping a Supreme Being through any faith can be lauded as extremely progressive ideas even at this age。 。。。more
Rebeca Ravara
，
feeling infinitely grateful for shmamy rn :，）this was such an interesting read！ although super boring at the start， the end really started picking up the pace and making some inch resting points that could be adapted into our societies， which make me go hmmmmmmmmalthough sometimes questionable in its approaches to those who are disabled or different， most of the points made are rational and cool to think about a quick and easy read （cant believe it was written so long ago！！！ it still adapts so w feeling infinitely grateful for shmamy rn :，）this was such an interesting read！ although super boring at the start， the end really started picking up the pace and making some inch resting points that could be adapted into our societies， which make me go hmmmmmmmmalthough sometimes questionable in its approaches to those who are disabled or different， most of the points made are rational and cool to think about a quick and easy read （cant believe it was written so long ago！！！ it still adapts so well to today's society woooooow） 。。。more
Atakan Özkaya
，
kitapta sayfalar dolusu altını çizdiğim cümle oldu ancak aşağıdaki birkaç cümle beni derinden etkiledi。 "。。başkasının rahatı için kendi zevklerimizden birazını olsun feda etmek soylu bir insan yüreğinin belirtisi sayılır ve böyle davranan insan zaten feda ettiği zevkten çok daha fazlasını bulur。 hem ettiği iyiliğin er geç karşılığını görür， hem de iyilik ettiği insanın minnet duyguları， feda ettiği zevkten daha tatlı gelir ona。。。"yaşamımda， fedakarlık duygusu gelişmemiş bencil insanların ne kada kitapta sayfalar dolusu altını çizdiğim cümle oldu ancak aşağıdaki birkaç cümle beni derinden etkiledi。 "。。başkasının rahatı için kendi zevklerimizden birazını olsun feda etmek soylu bir insan yüreğinin belirtisi sayılır ve böyle davranan insan zaten feda ettiği zevkten çok daha fazlasını bulur。 hem ettiği iyiliğin er geç karşılığını görür， hem de iyilik ettiği insanın minnet duyguları， feda ettiği zevkten daha tatlı gelir ona。。。"yaşamımda， fedakarlık duygusu gelişmemiş bencil insanların ne kadar huzursuz olduğunu ve neye sahip olurlarsa olsunlar （ ki genelde fedakar insanlara göre materyalist açıdan zengindirler） gözlemlerken çevresi için fedakarlık yapan çoğu insanın （mesela anneannem） gözlerindeki huzuru ve yaşamlarındaki mutluluğu hep gözlemlemişimdir。"çoğu zaman güzellik sevgiyi uyandırır， ama bu sevginin kalması， sürekli olması için， erdem ve uysallık gerekir。"işin ilginci more kendi kellesini alan 8。henry'i överek başlıyor başyapıtına :） 。。。more
Hugo Resende
，
Fantástico！ Uma obra para a Humanidade！ Transversal a todos os séculos！
Tom
，
Een aantal jaren geleden heb ik dit boek tweedehands op de kop kunnen tikken。 Het betreft een Nederlandse vertaling door dr。 A。H。 Kan， 7de druk， uitgegeven in 1979。 Deze vertaling bestaat uit 4 delen， namelijk een historische inleiding， het eigenlijke Utopia dat uit twee boekdelen bestaat en een voetnotenapparaat met naschrift van de vertaler。 De inleiding en de voetnoten waren nuttig om de context van dit werk beter te kunnen plaatsen。Zo is Utopia een geïdealiseerde versie van Engeland en neemt Een aantal jaren geleden heb ik dit boek tweedehands op de kop kunnen tikken。 Het betreft een Nederlandse vertaling door dr。 A。H。 Kan， 7de druk， uitgegeven in 1979。 Deze vertaling bestaat uit 4 delen， namelijk een historische inleiding， het eigenlijke Utopia dat uit twee boekdelen bestaat en een voetnotenapparaat met naschrift van de vertaler。 De inleiding en de voetnoten waren nuttig om de context van dit werk beter te kunnen plaatsen。Zo is Utopia een geïdealiseerde versie van Engeland en neemt More soms expliciet bepaalde standpunten in， of zet hij zich uitdrukkelijk tegen bepaalde punten af， om zich niet de woede van koning Hendrik VIII op te wekken。 Dit laatste zou immers zijn dood kunnen betekenen， wat uiteindelijk alsnog zijn lot is geworden， zij het om andere redenen。Het tweede boekdeel is het langste en vlotst geschreven deel van Utopia。 Volgens de vertaler is dit deel ook het oudste en heeft More achteraf het eerste boekdeel geschreven als een soort van inleiding op het tweede。 Spijtig genoeg is het eerste boekdeel veel warriger geschreven in een soort van dialoogvorm， waarbij in de mond van het personage Raphael Hythloday allerlei stellingen worden gelegd die More op het eerste gezicht kan ontkennen of weerleggen maar die hij via deze omweg toch probeert te propageren。 Dit kortere eerste deel zou hij geïnspireerd hebben op Erasmus en zijn 'Lof der Zotheid'， maar is mijns inziens overbodig。 Het doet afbreuk aan het geheel。Het tweede deel is waar het eigenlijk om draait， de beschrijving van de utopische heilstaat volgens More。 Al moet het gezegd dat velen dit vandaag eerder als een dystopie dan een utopie zullen beschouwen。 Een land waar een leven alleen uit arbeid bestaat， waar je niet verder van je woonplaats komt dan hoe ver je zelf te voet kan wandelen， zonder dat anderen je voedsel of drank mogen verschaffen waar je niet voor gewerkt hebt， zodat je niet zou liggen luieren。 Een communistische dictatuur， geïnspireerd op Plato - die op zijn beurt de mosterd in Sparta haalde。 Dit zou later Marx op ideeën brengen。 Dergelijke "utopie" is door Karl Popper in zijn 'Open samenleving en haar vijanden' ontmaskerd als een nachtmerrie， een weg naar de hel geplaveid met goede intenties。Desalniettemin bevat het boek op bepaalde plaatsen toch typisch humanistische en modern aandoende ideeën， zelfs al worden die vaak eerst geponeerd en vervolgens veiligheidshalve sterk genuanceerd。 Zo bevat het boek een verdediging van wat John Stuart Mill zijn 'vrije marktplaats van ideeën' zou noemen， ook op vlak van godsdienstvrijheid， maar wordt het vervolgens beperkt voor zij die atheïstisch zijn en niet in een god geloven， aangezien zij op moreel vlak niet vertrouwd kunnen worden。 More was dus een kind van zijn tijd。Thomas More is sterk geïnspireerd door de klassieken。 Hij doet op diverse plaatsen aan namedropping van klassieke auteurs om te pronken met zijn kennis。 De opkomende boekdrukkunst liet een snelle verspreiding van klassieke werken over gans Europa toe en hij wilde duidelijk aantonen mee te zijn met de 'nieuwste' hypes。 Zulks is eigen aan de renaissance， zoals ook Machiavelli zijn Discorsi op Livius baseerde。Omwille van het overbodige eerste boekdeel en bepaalde verwerpelijke ideeën slechts 3 sterren。 De rest is 4 sterren waard。 。。。more
Harry
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Before reading this book I would have been hard pressed to conceive that it was possible for an early 16th century thinker and writer to have been able to put together the constructs for a sort of proto-communism。 While many of the ideas presented in More's book may seem dated and poorly aged to the modern reader it still has very interesting and has important ideas to offer， such as it's critiques of materialism （which are even more prevalent today） and it's deconstruction of the nuclear family Before reading this book I would have been hard pressed to conceive that it was possible for an early 16th century thinker and writer to have been able to put together the constructs for a sort of proto-communism。 While many of the ideas presented in More's book may seem dated and poorly aged to the modern reader it still has very interesting and has important ideas to offer， such as it's critiques of materialism （which are even more prevalent today） and it's deconstruction of the nuclear family which I found fascinating。 It is truly amazing to read medieval writer who promotes ideas which were nearly foreign at the time such as religious freedom and tolerance。If you are a fan of history it provides an invaluable perspective of the times by producing a thorough criticism of the social hierarchies which were very deeply entrenched in Europe。 Even the flaws of the reasoning which are inevitable due to the limitations on the time provide a deep insight into medieval thinking in a social， political and economical level 。。。more
Sury Vemagal
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Most probably， every literate person would have heard of the word， Utopia and its meaning。 That meaning as we know now， has been derived from the book， Utopia， written by Thomas More， in 1517The book obviously brings to mind the works of Plato。 This book is probably the first one in English literature， dealing envisaging an ideal society。 The style of writing and the language clearly reflect the period of its writing – about seven hundred years ago！That said， one must appreciate the clear headed Most probably， every literate person would have heard of the word， Utopia and its meaning。 That meaning as we know now， has been derived from the book， Utopia， written by Thomas More， in 1517The book obviously brings to mind the works of Plato。 This book is probably the first one in English literature， dealing envisaging an ideal society。 The style of writing and the language clearly reflect the period of its writing – about seven hundred years ago！That said， one must appreciate the clear headed and open reasoning used in presenting the ideas。 Utopia is an imaginary island wherein the society is structured in an ideal way。 （As if to add authenticity， the author has given a map of the island， and a sample script of the language of the Utopians。） To present a detailed and clear picture of the Utopians， the author has selected various aspects of that society under headings like: cities， magistrates， occupations， social relations， travel， slaves， military matters， religions （note the plural usage）， etc and presented relevant details。 On the whole he has succeeded in depicting a clear picture of the Utopian society。One sour note in the above ‘ideal’ society is the existence of slave labour！ On the whole the book reminds you of a communistic way of life， without the suffocating restrictions。A couple of tidbits。 Gold and precious jewelry are absolutely worthless there， and held in contempt。 They have no commercial value within Utopia！ Same holds true of elaborate and showy dress。 There is no such thing as individual property – everything belongs to everybody。 One can follow any religious belief one likes。 Reading is encouraged， but no gambling！ And so on， there are some original ideas。Whether such ideals are practicable in today’s world， is quite a different matter。 Not only today， but any day， any period of time。 Given the nature of human mind， ideals can only remain as ideals。 That is to say， at any time， all the humans in toto cannot live ideal lives; among them， a striving few can。 。。。more
Dd
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ยูโทเปียเล่มแรกสนุกมากสำหรับเรา คำพูดคมคาย เสียดสีสังคมและระบอบการปกครอง ศาสนจักร เหล่าผู้มีอำนาจและคนรวย แต่พอมาถึงยูโทเปียเล่มสองเราเบื่อมาก หนังสือสังคมดีๆ นี่เอง เป็นความเรียงยาวๆ ถึงวิถีชีวิตของชาวยูโทเปียทุกแง่มุมเลยจริงๆ แต่ก็ยังมีบางส่วนที่เราประทับใจบ้างถึงจะเป็นส่วนน้อยก็เถอะมีหลายจุดที่เราไม่เห็นด้วยนะ เช่น ระบบทาส ถึงแม้ว่าจะเป็นทาสที่สบายกว่าที่อื่นๆ แต่ยูโทเปียในความคิดเราไม่น่ามีทาสแล้วอะ หรือแม้กระทั่งการแต่งงานซึ่งมีย่อหน้าหนึ่งพูดถึงการที่คู่สมรสต้องถอดเสื้อผ้าต่อหน้ากัน แล้วก็ ยูโทเปียเล่มแรกสนุกมากสำหรับเรา คำพูดคมคาย เสียดสีสังคมและระบอบการปกครอง ศาสนจักร เหล่าผู้มีอำนาจและคนรวย แต่พอมาถึงยูโทเปียเล่มสองเราเบื่อมาก หนังสือสังคมดีๆ นี่เอง เป็นความเรียงยาวๆ ถึงวิถีชีวิตของชาวยูโทเปียทุกแง่มุมเลยจริงๆ แต่ก็ยังมีบางส่วนที่เราประทับใจบ้างถึงจะเป็นส่วนน้อยก็เถอะมีหลายจุดที่เราไม่เห็นด้วยนะ เช่น ระบบทาส ถึงแม้ว่าจะเป็นทาสที่สบายกว่าที่อื่นๆ แต่ยูโทเปียในความคิดเราไม่น่ามีทาสแล้วอะ หรือแม้กระทั่งการแต่งงานซึ่งมีย่อหน้าหนึ่งพูดถึงการที่คู่สมรสต้องถอดเสื้อผ้าต่อหน้ากัน แล้วก็พูดถึงกว่าที่ต้องให้ชายเห็นหญิงเพราะหากแต่งงานไปแล้วไม่ถูกใจ บลาๆ จะเป็นเรื่องใหญ่เพราะหย่าไม่ได้ มีแต่พูดถึงชายไม่ถูกใจหญิง เป็นต้นส่วนที่ชอบแล้วก็ล้ำก็มี เช่น ไม่น่าเชื่อว่ามีเรื่องการุณยฆาตด้วย หรือให้หญิงได้อ่านหนังสือ ได้รับการศึกษาเท่าชาย（ไม่อยากจะเขียนแบบนี้หรอก แต่ต้องยอมรับ） เป็นต้นเขาว่ากันว่ามอร์สอดแทรกมุกตลกกับเสียดสีการเมืองสมัยนั้นไว้เยอะ แต่ด้วยความที่เราไม่มีพื้นฐานด้านนี้เลย บางที่ที่เขาเขียนไว้เราก็อาจไม่เก็ท เพราะงั้นบางที่ที่เราคิดว่าเป็นเรื่องจริงจังและใช้งานได้อาจจะเขียนไว้ขำๆ ก็ได้ ก็เลยพยายามไม่เอาจริงเอาจังมากค่ะ55555Favorite Quotes * หากแต่มีประเทศอื่นๆ ในโลกอีกมากที่ดูเหมือนว่าจะเลียนแบบครูที่เลว ซึ่งพร้อมจะลงโทษนักเรียนมากกว่าสอนให้เขาดีขึ้น ทั้งๆ ที่การช่วยให้ทุกคนเลี้ยงชีพได้เองนั้นดีกว่าที่จะปล่อยให้เขาถูกผลักดันไปเป็นขโมยโดยไม่จำเป็น และต้องตายเพราะโทษทัณฑ์อันรุนแรงและสยดสยองเป็นไหนๆ — หน้าที่ 60* พิจารณาถึงสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นทุกวันเถิด มีชนชั้นสูงอย่างมากที่อยู่อย่างเกียจคร้านเหมือนกับผึ้งตัวผู้ และมีชีวิตอยู่โดยอาศัยแรงงานของผู้เช่าที่ดินของตน ซึ่งก็ถูกรีดนาทาเร้นค่าเช่าอย่างเต็มที่ — ？？？* ก็ทำไมจึงจะต้องมีการหวงแหนกันด้วยเล่า？ ในเมื่อมีทุกสิ่งทุกอย่างเพียงพอและไม่ต้องกลัวว่าจะมีใครแอบอ้างเอามากกว่าที่ต้องการ ทำไมจึงจะมีใครต้องสงสัยว่าจะเรียกร้องเอามากกว่าที่ต้องการในเมื่อไม่เคยขาดแคลน？ ที่มนุษย์และสัตว์ตะกละตะกลามละโมบโลภมากก็เพราะต่างกลัวไม่มีกินเท่านั้นเอง — หน้าที่ 120* แต่ที่ชาวยูโทเปียเย้นหยันหนักเข้าไปอีกก็คือความเขลาของคนที่ยกย่องคนร่ำรวยจนเกือบเหมือนพระเจ้า ทั้งๆ ที่พวกเขาก็มิได้เป็นหนี้เป็นสินคนรวยแต่อย่างใด และไม่ต้องกลัวเขาด้วย เพราะอันที่จริงแล้วไม่มีเหตุผลใดที่จะต้องไปเคารพนับถือ นอกจากว่าเขาร่ำรวย และพวกเขาก็อาจจะรู้อยู่ตลอดเวลาว่า คนรวยนั้นตะกละและโลภถึงขนาดที่ว่า ตราบใดที่เขามีชีวิตอยู่ เขาจะไม่ให้เงินแก่ตนเลยแม้แต่หนึ่งเพนนีจากกองเงินอันมหาศาลของเขา— หน้าที่ 132* แต่ถ้าคิดดูดีๆ ก็ในเมื่อตาของท่านเองก็ไม่สามารถบอกได้ว่าอันไหนจริง อันไหนปลอมแล้ว ทำไมเพชรพลอยที่เป็นของปลอมจึงจะทำให้ความสุขแก่ท่านน้อยลงเล่า มันย่อมมีค่าสำหรับท่านเท่าๆ กับของจริง เพราะท่านก็เหมือนกันคนตาบอดนั่นเอง！ — หน้าที่ 140* ยูโทเปีย มีลักษณะเหมือนเรื่องจริงมาก แต่แล้วชื่อบุคคลและสถานที่อื่นซึ่งมาจากภาษากรีก กลับแสดงถึงลักษณะความเป็นไปไม่ได้ และความจินตนาการของยูโทเปียทั้งสิ้น เช่น ชื่อเรื่อง ยูโทเปีย （Utopia） ซึ่งแปลว่า ‘ไม่มีที่ไหน’ นครอะมอโรตี （Amaurot） ซึ่งแปลว่า ‘มัวไม่แน่นอน’ แม่น้ำอะนิดอร์ （Anyder） ซึ่งแปลว่า ‘ปราศจากน้ำ’ เป็นต้น — หน้าที่ 214* กล่าวสั้นๆ ก็คือผู้เขียน ยูโทเปีย ไม่ได้เป็น ‘ยูโทเปีย’ ในลักษณะที่เรามักจะเข้าใจความหมายของคำนี้เลยแม้แต่น้อย — หน้าที่ 233 。。。more
Dang Thuy
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3，75*Đọc để thấy cái cấp tiến trong nhận thức của người xưa từ hàng trăm năm trước。 Nhiều quan điểm đến tận bây h vẫn nguyên vẹn giá trị
Freddie Lawrence
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The book Utopia is the first time that I have audibly laughed at a book that is hundreds of years old。 The slick and satirical style brings much humor while offering many hard hitting critics of the politics and government of the time。 While it is arguable where many of his jokes start and end， it is clear that Thomas More had a clear interest in government， crime， and to wrap it all up; communism。 To start things off Sir Thomas More is not More。 While the author is Sir Thomas More， the charact The book Utopia is the first time that I have audibly laughed at a book that is hundreds of years old。 The slick and satirical style brings much humor while offering many hard hitting critics of the politics and government of the time。 While it is arguable where many of his jokes start and end， it is clear that Thomas More had a clear interest in government， crime， and to wrap it all up; communism。 To start things off Sir Thomas More is not More。 While the author is Sir Thomas More， the character in the book that shares the same name is a completely different person。 The character More is actually very against many of the opinions that the actual author has。 This can be seen when the author states that “I don’t believe you’d ever have a reasonable standard of living under a communist system” （More 67）。 I think that Thomas More hit the nail on the head with this quote， because it can be seen even today in reviews of the book that want to criticize communism without much substance。 For example one of the top negative Goodreads review starts of by saying “Thomas More's life blah blah feudalism” （Paul Bryant）。 The rest of the book seems to intentionally refute this very claim from More’s point of view。 We are told most of Utopia through the lens of Raphael who has actually lived in Utopia for an extended amount of time。 He tells us what he has learned from living in Utopia when the states that “I don’t see how you can ever get any real justice or prosperity， so long as there’s private property and everything’s judged in terms of money” （More 65）。 This revelation early in the book leads the dialogue that will dictate the narrative for what to come for the rest of the book。 An area that Thomas More is highly focused on is the area of crime。 During that time stealing was very common among the country。 The head cardinal even noted that it seems that the problem was getting exponentially worse even with its harsh penalty。 Death。 Stealing from another citizen leads to being executed by the state。 More on the other hand concluded that the very punishment they use to serve justice was creating the injustice in the first place。 More states that “no penalty on earth will stop people from stealing， if it's their only way of getting food” （More 44）。 This is a powerful quote from Sir More because it shows that these people are not stealing and breaking laws because they are bad people， they are doing it because they literally have no other choice。 If you don’t steal and you can’t eat you die， but if you steal and get caught you also die。 It's a lose- lose situation。 Many people rather take the chance than just give up entirely。 More’s proposal is a system that comes from the country of Utopia。 In Utopia instead of instantly dying because you are poor， you at least get to be a slave。 While I am not for slavery in any way， I can’t help to notice that this is actually extremely close to the American justice system。 Inmates in America are by law no more than glorified slaves。 This can be seen within the clause of the 13th amendment where it says that no slavery shall exist except as a punishment of a crime。 This is why while I agree with Thomas More’s take to decrease the severity of punishment from death to slavery， I would say that we as a modern society should find a way to take slavery out of the discussion entirely。 As Goodreads reviewer Dee Arr states “There are many parts of this perfect society which would not make sense today。” I totally agree with this observation and hope as a society we can make our Utopias even better than the ones of the past。 Lastly， it is worth noting that many of the commodities and lifestyles that come from Utopia can be seen as a form of communism。 While it is not clear if More himself was a communist， he almost writes the book in a way to show that we are messing up so bad in our real countries that the somewhat bland， cookie cutter life in Utopia is much more desirable。 In the country Utopia， wealth and resources are equally distributed across the country so every can survive。 Utopians even wear the same piece of clothing every year for two years。 To explain the reasoning the author states that “For why should he want more？ They wouldn’t make him any warmer- or any better looking” （More 79）。 This quote is very telling of the Utopian mindset because this logic is used to justify most of the culture in Utopia。 The people of Utopia do not crave extravagance， but look down upon it。 For example， the text states that “But silver and gold are the normal materials， in private houses as well as communal dining halls， for the humblest items of domestic equipment， such as chamber-pots” （More 86）。 These normally precious metals are so menial to Utopians that they use it for their toilets。 Goodreads reviewer Leonard Gaya also saw this interesting distinction。 He states that “the wealth inequality More denounced in his time is still and even more noticeable today。” This totally makes sense because the Top 1 percent of households own 43 percent of global wealth。 I like how another reviewer Mario puts it。 “Money does not exist， no one owns anything - so everyone is rich。” This philosophy shares a close resemblance to communism in the way that the goal is to create a place where no one is oppressed。 In conclusion， I really enjoyed my time reading Utopia and recommend it to anyone that is interested in political satire and commentary。 The way that it can blend funny jokes and serious topics reminds me of what Aaron McGruder does with “The Boondocks。” In both forms of media the reader is told an interesting and funny tale on the surface， but is surrounded by tons of theory and thought provoking topics。 While many reviews claim that it was a struggle to read such as Lynne King says it is “Painful like pulling teeth，” I honestly feel that anyone interested in a satirical look at government and politics would greatly enjoy this book。 。。。more
Kara
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By modern standards， this is not good story telling。 We have a frame story of an author epixy hanging out with his hardly fictionalized version of his friends， a traveler who arrives with tales of foreign parts， a long detour into then-current political issues， and then the story itself is just one long list of what the setting is， with no plot， dialogue or even character。But， by the standards of the day， it was radical stuff， for More to suggest， even as a joke， the end of capital punishment， g By modern standards， this is not good story telling。 We have a frame story of an author epixy hanging out with his hardly fictionalized version of his friends， a traveler who arrives with tales of foreign parts， a long detour into then-current political issues， and then the story itself is just one long list of what the setting is， with no plot， dialogue or even character。But， by the standards of the day， it was radical stuff， for More to suggest， even as a joke， the end of capital punishment， government sponsored work programs， civil divorce， separation of church and state， a post-currency economy， shared goods， shared land， and more。Scholars agonize over how seriously we are supposed to take these ideas。 My take on it is he wanted to control the idea of reform to prevent chaos， and wanted to start a conversation about that and get some ideas flowing， starting with the most radical， and working down to more realistic goals from there。 。。。more
IeZandel
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