Utopia-Thomas More

1. Utopia-Christian Synthesis

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

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

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

2. Property

2.1. The island contains 54 towns, each with about 6000 households.

2.2. Every household has between 10 and 16 adults and people are re-distributed around the households and towns to keep numbers even. If the island suffers from overpopulation, colonies are set up on the mainland. Alternatively, 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. In the case of underpopulation the colonists are re-called.

2.3. There is no private ownership on Utopia, with goods being stored in warehouses and people requesting what they need. There are also no locks on the doors of the houses, which are rotated between the citizens every ten years.

3. Slaves in Utopia

3.1. Every household has two slaves

3.2. These slaves are either from other countries or are Utopian criminals.

3.3. Slaves are usually released for good behaviour.

4. Utopia & Great Britain

4.1. It insults the British system of goverment, by calling their system a pigsty.

4.2. He says that a utopia isn't possible, and is therefore laughing at the system and his self. By saying that his government is perfect, it makes the current one a failure

5. Happiness in Utopia

6. Overview

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

6.2. More doesn't simply offer a theorectical view, but provides specifics for how to create this world

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

7. Humor & Parody

7.1. Utopia means nowhere(he says it can't exist)

7.2. The political system is called a Sty( every 30 houses are divided into Stys)He is calling the people of Great Britain a pigs

8. Work in a Utopia

8.1. Agriculture is the most important job on the island. Every person is taught it and must live in the countryside, farming, for two years at a time, with women doing the same work as men

8.2. Every citizen learns at least one of the other essential trades: weaving, carpentry, metalsmithing and masonry. There is deliberate simplicity about these trades; for instance, all people wear the same types of simple clothes and there are no dressmakers making fine apparel.

8.3. All able-bodied citizens must work; thus unemployment is eradicated, and the length of the working day can be minimised: the people only have to work six hours a day

9. Goverment in Utopia

9.1. The capital city, Amaurot, is located directly in the middle of the crescent island

9.2. Thirty households are grouped together and controlled by a Sty, and 10 Stywards are overseen by a "Bencheater". Each town has a mayor elected from among the ranks of the Bencheaters.