Utopia

The socio-political novel ‘Utopia’ opens with Thomas More’s character in the Netherlands, serving as the king’s ambassador. From there, he travels to Antwerp, where he befriends Peter Giles.

Through Giles, More meets an older man named Raphael Hythloday. More and Giles learn that Hythloday had sailed the world with explorer Amerigo Vespucci, travelling to the New World through Asia. While there, Hythloday came into contact with the Utopians – an island people with the most well-organized commonwealth in the world.

According to Hythloday, the cities of Utopia are all prosperous and well-laid out but look similar to one another. The Utopians own nothing individually and share resources collectively. They don’t use money. Utopians are concerned with how people can attain happiness and define virtue as a life organized according to nature. Their highest pleasures are the exercises of virtue and conscience.

After Hythloday talks about Utopia, More thinks many Utopian laws and policies are illogical. But since he doesn’t want to offend Hythloday by disagreeing, More says he wishes European cities would adopt features of Utopia. While More’s true motivation for writing Utopia still remains a mystery, this socio-political satire continues to spark debates and discussions to this day.