Arcturus Utopia (Arcturus Classics).

by Thomas More

In Moreâ€s influential fantasy, first published in Latin in 1516, traveller Raphael reports on the peaceful, egalitarian society he discovered on a remote island. This edition is based on the 1684 translation by Gilbert Burnet.

156 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2024

About the author

Sir Thomas More (1477-1535), venerated by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He was a councillor to Henry VIII and also served as Lord High Chancellor of England from October 1529 to 16 May 1532.

More opposed the Protestant Reformation, in particular the theology of Martin Luther and William Tyndale. He also wrote Utopia, published in 1516, about the political system of an imaginary ideal island nation. More opposed the King's separation from the Catholic Church, refusing to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and beheaded.

Pope Pius XI canonised More in 1935 as a martyr. Pope John Paul II in 2000 declared him the "heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians." Since 1980, the Church of England has remembered More liturgically as a Reformation martyr. The Soviet Union honoured him for the Communistic attitude toward property rights expressed in Utopia.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy one- but what do you expect for a 1500s idealized satire on Utopia (note women aren't equal and slavery is a thing). Also apparently a perfect world it is all about productivity and very little private time- all about the greater good, while committing to being part of the greater horde. In all seriousness since it is often referenced - and referenced little of earlier works itself glad I finally took a crack at it.

[Gabriel Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas More’s Utopia shocked me with how absurd it was. It has to be satire—because no one in their right mind could believe Raphael’s nation is a true “utopia.” What he describes is built on hypocrisy and ignorance.

The society runs like a socialist state, guided by a rigid utilitarianism that looks neat on paper but fails in practice, undermining the complexity of human nature. As I read, what was supposed to be a utopia unraveled into something more like a dystopia—haunting, sterile, and depressing.

Raphael ignores free will entirely, and in doing so, he strips away what makes us human. Utopia isn’t a blueprint for perfection; it’s a warning about how dangerous perfection-seeking societies can become.