The Idea of Utopia

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The Idea of Utopia

• Europeans, Perfectibility,
• Others

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Sir Thomas More, 1478-1535
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Why We Read Utopia in CF 3333

• book on institutions- you can grid it
• institutions that are - Europe
• institutions that might be - Utopia
• fascinating primary source dealing with
• demise of the Medieval order
• the age of discovery
• causes of the Reformation

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The Setting

• Renaissance Reformation
• Age of Discovery ou topos
• Corporatism to Capitalism
• Nostalgia for Corporatism
• Sabine on Utopia

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Corporatism

• The Corporatism of the Middle Ages
• Mumford
• Sabine
• The Oath of Aethelred

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• A Man for All Seasons
• Vita - Renaissance Humanist
• Humanist in Power
• The Theorist
• Systems Theory
• Non-Incremental
• Centrality of Morality
• More Hythloday 73-74
• an inner dialogue

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the prudent critic

• direct criticism- 61, col. 2, bottom
• indirect criticism (?)- 109, col. 2, par. 1

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Protest!

• Explicit Criticisms
• Enclosure Acts 62
• unsatisfactory clergy 67
• excessive punishment 64
• Implicit Criticisms
• role of civic virtue 92
• treatment of retarded, insane 100
• role of gold silver 88
• marriage 98
• diet 78
• law lawyers 100
• political prudence 80

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Protest!

• Political Economy
• no market mechanism 78
• city - hinterland work ibid.
• workfare 81, 86-87
• Religious Tolerance
• Utopos religious pluralism 107ff.
• repression of zealots 109

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Protest!

• critique of what is
• suggestion of what might be

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Utopian Corporatism

• politics 100
• economics 114
• justice 115
• a moral and social foundation 115-116

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A Prayer

• The service ends with a set prayer repeated by
  both priests and congregation.
• More, 114 (top of column tw0)