Thomas More's Utopia

1. Christian Synthesis

1.1. The Christian aspect of the synthesis is Christ's gospel of caring for the poor, the oppressed and the downtrodden.

1.2. The Platonic, Republican tradition is the Greek aspect of the synthesis.

1.3. More wrote Utopia with a comedic tone, allowing him to speak his truth while telling deeper story.

2. Working Life

2.1. Agriculture is the most important job, every person is taught it, living in the countryside, farming, for two years at a time, with women doing the same work as men.

2.2. Every person must learn at least one other essential trade.

2.3. All able-bodied citizens must work; thus unemployment is eradicated, and the length of the working day can be minimised.

3. Slavery

3.1. Every household has two slaves.

3.2. Slaves are either from other countries or are Utopian criminals.

3.3. These criminals are weighed down by chains made of gold.

4. Government

4.1. Gold and money are worth very little and are only used to trade with foreign countries.

4.2. A welfare state with free hospitals, euthanasia permissible by the state, priests being allowed to marry, divorce permitted, premarital sex punished by a lifetime of enforced celibacy and adultery being punished by enslavement.

4.3. Meals are taken in community dining halls and the job of feeding the population is given to a different household in turn but administrators and old are given the best food.

5. Happiness

5.1. Studying to become completely human and reach your full potential.

5.2. Doing work and learning to achieve what you can do.

6. Overview of Utopia

6.1. Thomas More's Utopia is a Christian-humanist view of an ideal society.

6.2. More does not simply offer a theoretical view, but provides specifics for how to create this world.

6.3. Utopia offers a Christianized form of Plato's Republic.

7. Use of Humor

7.1. Called all of the little groups of 30 houses in his utopia, "styes" which is the name of where pigs stay, calling the British pigs.

7.2. Utopia means nowhere, the title is a joke.

7.3. New node

8. Property

8.1. Divided into sets of 30 houses called styes.

8.2. 54 towns, 6,000 households

8.3. Every household has between 10 and 16 adults and people are re-distributed around the households and towns to keep numbers even.

8.4. Overpopulation-colonies are separated onto the mainland.

8.5. The natives of the mainland are invited to be part of these Utopian colonies, but if they dislike it and no longer wish to stay they may return.

9. Social Critique of Great Britain

9.1. Contrasts Great Britain's society with orderly and reasonable social arrangements in society.