Thomas More's Utopia

Thomas More in Utopia presents a view of human nature which is far more positive than negative. While he certainly shows an awareness of the flaws in human beings, he attributes those flaws more to the environment, and political and socioeconomic factors, than to the nature of humanity. In other words, More shows that human nature can be altered by altering the environment. If the environment is improved, meaning socially, politically and economically, then the behavior of human beings will be improved, bringing out the best in human nature.

Many other fictional "utopias", such as 1984 and Brave New World, are more intent on critiquing the attempts to perfect humanity and human society, and demonstrating the dangers and ultimate destructiveness of those efforts. More, on the other hand, believes in his utopia and the betterment of humanity and human behavior through the manipulation of the social environment. Unlike most other utopian writers, More is not cynical about human nature and is not skeptical about efforts to bring out the best in that nature.

More believed human nature to be good, created by God, and susceptible to great improvement if social, political and economic conditions were reformed so that human misery were eliminated and fundamental human virtue were thereby liberated and nurtured. More believed in socialism insofar as it would eliminate private property, which he saw as the root of evil. He believed that when private property exists, and when money

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he contrary, More saw his utopia as a religious manifestation of man and God working together to bring out the best in man. In More's letter to Peter Giles, the author makes clear that he sees his utopia to be a religious enterprise, meant to be working in tandem with the Church. He writes of a professor of theology, who very much wants to go to Utopia. His motive is . . . a desire to foster and further the growth of our religion. . . . He has decided to arrange to be sent there by the Pope, and even to be named Bishop of the Utopians. . . . He considers it a holy project, arising not from motives of glory or gain, but simply from religious zeal (More 5-6). In his letter to Giles, More is attempting to convey a number of messages. The first is that, indeed, human nature is good and can be bettered in its expression by altering society. Second, he wants to make clear that he is not anti-Church, but, in fact, sees his fictional Utopia as a fully religious effort, a sign that God and man can work together to transform society and the human beings who are shaped by the social and economic environments. Third, he wants to express his doubts that there is even a point to publishing his work. Obviously, he did publish the book,

Category: Philosophy - T