Thomas More’s Utopia: A Question Of English Values

We as citizens have the right to criticize, question and suggest alternate ways of governing a society to improve its members and the society. Thomas More used his ability as a critic to create Utopia, a social comment on Tudor England’s failures and its rulers.

Thomas More questions Tudor England’s ability for wealth distribution and influence. The Feudal System caused great social and economic inequality in England. More emphasizes the landlord’s profit-making nature and the impact it has on the poorer classes, driving them to thievery. Raphael’s irony is more used to defend his critics. More refers to the “a few greedy persons” as the source of corruption and blames them for it. This statement summarizes More’s main criticisms about the Feudal system. They are individualist and have a negative effect on the rest. The Feudal System is also criticised by More. He makes this point by questioning the preference between sheep and men. This reality is a criticism of More’s “few greedy persons” who care only about their own economic gain and not the well-being of others. Instead, they choose to punish them for the choices that were made. More offers Book 2 which shows a distorted reality that eliminates economic and sociological differences. It is a system More believes to be more fair. His “Utopia” makes the population feel “like one large household”, which contrasts with the Feudal Systems individualist nature. By using rare metals as “domestic gear” (e.g. chamber pots), More devalues them and makes it seem as if they are “do everything to put the metals down”. More’s Utopia outlines the economic and social consequences of feudalism, creating a society that benefits all. More concludes his book during the Renaissance. This period was one of the most advanced periods of thought and social progress. More uses veiled humor to criticize the economic power struggle between the feudal system and humans, as well as the conflicting ethics and complications that the monarchy creates. Raphael Hythlodeus, More’s spokesperson, challenges Tudor England and offers a unique perspective on his “Utopia”.

Author

  • ewanpatel

    I'm a 29-year-old educational bloger and teacher. I have been writing about education for about six years, and I have a B.A. in English from UC Santa Cruz. I also have a M.A. in English from San Francisco State University. I teach high school English in the Bay Area.