Wk VII Section on Thomas More’s Utopia      

We are reading this early, so that people can choose to write a second paper on it.
Sixteenth century England will turn up in lecture in a few weeks, but More's Utopia
can be read on its own, as a Christian humanist treatise about society. The basic
questions are: what makes a good society (Bk 2, Utopia) and what makes for a
poverty ridden, violent and hierarchical society (Bk 1, England).

Career of Thomas More (1478-1535)

   1490’s study at Oxford: pious layman, active life
   1500 meets Erasmus, studies Greek
   1504 elected to Parliament: Speaker of House of Commons
   1509 Henry VIII becomes King
   1515-27  diplomatic missions to continent
   1523 knighted (Sir Thomas More), Treasurer of Exchequer
   1529 becomes Lord Chancellor (after fall of Wolsey)
   1532 resigns over Henry’s rejection of Papal supremacy
   1533 Anne Boleyn crowned Queen, Elizabeth born
   1534 Act of Supremacy: Henry as head of English Church;
            requires loyalty oath from all officials
    1535 Thomas More executed for refusal of oath

Utopia: written 1515-16  (  Title means “Nowhere” in Greek)
    Christian humanist commentary on society and politics
    reflects central issues of his career & of 16th C. England

Bk I.  Dialogue on Counsel, or Advice to Princes
             Influence of travel literature:
                     Raphael Hythloday (= “Nonsense” in Greek)
              Issues:
              1)    can a wise man influence ruler?  or, how to
                       serve in government without compromising integrity; 
                       prophetic of More’s own fate
              2)  social causes of crime: 
                       private  property, enclosures,  war, retainers,
                     What picture of 16th C. English society is drawn here?

Bk II. Proposal for “Utopian” social reform on  Christian humanist principles

              How was Utopia started?
                        How does it stay separate from world?
              What concept of human nature is present in Utopian society?
                        Are men naturally good or bad?
              What makes  Utopians good? 
                        Compare them to the non-Utopians described.
              What are their attitudes to:
                          property, work, family, sex, money,
                          morality, religion, warfare, politics, lawmaking
              Is there anything specifically Christian about Utopia?

General questions:      What makes this a "Christian humanist" work?
To what extent do the reforms laid out in Book II address the problems
               of 16th C. England described in Book I?