Utopia By Saint Thomas More (Paperback, 2012)

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Thomas More's Utopia is a masterpiece of Renaissance political philosophy responsible for introducing the term 'utopia' & spawning an entire genre of 'utopian' & 'dystopian' literature This Penguin Classics edition is a major new translation from the Latin by Dominic Baker-Smith &

Includes:: an introduction & notes on the text' Even if you can't eradicate harmful ideas or remedy established evils that's no reason to turn your back on the body politic' In Utopia Thomas More gives us a traveller's account of a newly-discovered island where the inhabitants enjoy a social order based on natural reason & justice & human fulfilment is open to all As the traveller Raphael describes the island to More a bitter contrast is drawn between this rational society & the custom-driven practices of Europe So how can the philosopher try to reform his society? In his fictional discussion More takes up a question first raised by Plato & which is still a challenge in the contemporary world In the history of political thought few works have been more influential than Utopia & few more misunderstood Dominic Baker-Smith's introduction examines the conflicting voices & perspectives of More's masterpiece & relates them to the European context of his time This new edition also

Includes:: a chronology notes appendices glossary & suggested further reading Thomas More (1478-1535) succeeded Cardinal 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 take an oath impugning the pope's authority or upholding the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon More was tried as a traitor at Westminster Hall & beheaded on Tower Hill He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935 If you enjoyed Utopia you might like Plato's Republic also available in Penguin Classics