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OverviewAlthough there are other Utopia books written before Thomas More's, it is this book that made its title into a by-word in the English (and other) languages. Utopia was More's response to Plato's Republic, in that it is a framework for a perfect society according to More's ideas of the time. Originally published in Latin, the first English version appeared in 1551, some 16 years after More's death. More's Utopia, which is a brief book (100 pages), portrays a communal, democratic society. It is paradoxically unregulated and tightly regulated. More's citizens just want to do what is best for their society, and that covers a remarkably narrow range of possibilities. There are, of course, some who break the laws of the land, and More deals with them harshly. Harsh is a relative term, though, and his punishments were hardly harsh in a day when it was a hanging offense to steal a loaf of bread for your starving family. More's Utopia is also a strongly religious society. Religious tolerance is a matter of law, a novelty by the standards of More's day and the standard of his own behavior. 'Tolerance', however, meant tolerance of any monotheism that wasn't too animistic, and certainly didn't tolerate the unreligious. Thomas More's own life was less than a Utopia. He was executed by Henry VIII (one of his best friends) for, among other trespasses, refusing to uphold the king's divorce from Catherine of Arragon. Before that time More served Henry VIII in many capacities, including Speaker of the House of Commons, Master of Requests, Privy Councillor, and Lord Chancellor. More's strong integrity and resolute mind caught the attention of scholars, political and church leaders internationally; it was this same integrity that most likely was his undoing, refusing to assent to the King's divorce and severance of ties binding the English Church with the Roman overlordship of the Pope. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Thomas MorePublisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform Dimensions: Width: 14.00cm , Height: 0.50cm , Length: 21.60cm Weight: 0.127kg ISBN: 9781450533003ISBN 10: 1450533000 Pages: 102 Publication Date: 14 January 2010 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Awaiting stock The supplier is currently out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out for you. Table of ContentsReviewsAuthor InformationThomas More was born in 1478. He succeeded Wolsey as Lord Chancellor of England, but came into conflict with the king, Henry VIII, by refusing to acknowledge him as sole head of the church. Charged with high treason, More steadfastly refused to takean oath impugning the pope's authority or upholding the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. He was beheaded in 1535. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |