![]() Utopia follows the Ciceronian stance, basing virtue as the ruling principle of their society. Utopian laws and customs forbid idle leisure of any kind. Although Utopian citizens devote only six hours of their day to work, they go to bed at 8PM and arise at 4AM attend public lectures before dawn and other hours of the day are required to be “used properly in some chosen occupation”, such as intellectual pursuits or practice of some trade. Priests are rigorously chosen based upon their outstanding virtue and high honours and praises are conferred upon magistrates who serve with especial virtue. More belongs to a tradition of so-called ‘humanist writers’, who were inspired from the tradition of Greek and Roman political writers (most prominently Plato, Aristotle and Cicero) to debate what constitutes ‘the best state of a commonwealth’. Broadly speaking, there were two schools of thought: the Ciceronian humanists, who promoted an active, politically educated citizenship who participated in a republican government and the Greek humanists, who promoted government of a single individual that allowed everyone else to pursue a life of contemplative leisure.Ī common assumption in humanist political commentary was that the ‘best commonwealth’ allows its citizens to pursue happiness and ‘live well’. But this sparked a second debate regarding what constitutes the noble, ideal citizen of such a commonwealth. A common claim was that inherited wealth was a condition for true nobility, as proper use of extensive wealth allowed an aristocrat to effectively exercise civic virtue for the good of the commonwealth. Ciceronian humanists challenged this view with the claim that virtus vera nobilitas est: possession of virtue in one’s character was the only ground for true nobility. And so, one of More’s concerns in Utopia was to contribute to this debate over the meaning of true nobility in the ideal commonwealth. To understand More’s arguments, it’s crucial to set some context about contemporary political debates which arose alongside the Renaissance. ![]() The work, whose full title translates to ‘On the best state of a commonwealth and the new island of Utopia’, coined the term Utopia, which has a twofold meaning. It combines the Greek word ‘ou’ (not) with ‘topos’ (place) – ‘Utopia’ thus means ‘no place’. However, it also puns on the Greek word ‘eutopia’, meaning a ‘happy or fortunate place.’ This very title sets the satirical, ambiguous tone of the work – is Hythloday’s enthusiasm for Utopian customs meant to be sincere, or is More deliberately leaving us with an ambivalent, puzzled view of Utopian life? While there are several facets to the social, political and religious customs of the Utopians which validate either side of this debate, I shall concentrate on More’s startlingly modern, radical assessment of private wealth as the root of social evils. ![]() ![]() Thomas More (1478-1535) is best known for Utopia, a work of socio-political satire published in 1516. It is split into two books: Book 1, Dialogue of Counsel, constitutes a debate between the traveller Raphael Hythloday, a fictional version of More, and his associates regarding the modern social problems in Europe and how to advise monarchs. In Book 2, Discourse on Utopia, Hythloday relates his experience living in the island of Utopia (located somewhere in the New World) for 5 years, arguing that Utopia alone achieved the ‘best state of a commonwealth’ through their institutions and social customs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |