Thomas More and Utopia

Sir Thomas More was the first person to use the term “utopia,” describing an ideal, imaginary world in
his most famous work of fiction. His book describes a complex community on an island, in which people
share a common culture and way of life (“16th Century Dreams: Thomas More”). The term he coined
derives from the Greek word ou-topos meaning “nowhere,”. Ironically, it is the opposite of the similar-
sounding Greek word eu-topos meaning “a good place,” (“Utopia Summary”). At its heart, the book
poses the question of whether there could ever be such a thing as a “perfect” world and served as a
platform to highlight the chaos of European politics at the time.

The book, written in 1516, is More’s attempt to suggest ways to improve European society, using
“Utopia” as an example. More was a major figure of the English Renaissance who cared deeply about
the moral and political responsibilities of individuals. He eventually rose to one of the highest offices in
the land, and, as chancellor of England in 1529, came up against his own king with disastrous
consequences. More strongly opposed Henry VIII’s separation from the Catholic Church and refused to
sign the Oath of Supremacy, which would give King Henry more power than the Pope. He was convicted
of treason and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. They continued to urge him to sign the oath, but
he refused. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, or quartered, the usual punishment for traitors, but
the king commuted this to execution by decapitation. While on the scaffold, he declared that he died,
“The king’s good servant, and God’s first”.

The society depicted in Utopia differs from the European society that Thomas More was living in at the
time, one rife with intrigue, corruption and mired by scandal. The author’s experience with politics in his
time and the Utopia that he invented demonstrates this contrasting relationship: Utopia is communal,
allowing its people to easily meet their needs, while European society is described as a place where,
“Idle monarchs and nobles seek to increase their own wealth and power at the expense of the people,
who are left in poverty and misery” (“Utopia: Theme Analysis”). Clearly dissatisfied with the world he
was living in, More sought to create a different place altogether on the page—a world free of the
hierarchies that ultimately cost the author his life.