Utopia

is a work of fiction and political philosophy by Thomas More (1478–1535) published in 1516 in Latin. The book is a Frame Narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs.

Utopia was first published in English in 1551.

A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realization of Utopias.

The first discussions with Raphael allow him to discuss some of the modern ills affecting Europe such as the tendency of kings to start wars and the subsequent loss of money on fruitless endeavours.

He also criticises the use of execution to punish theft, saying thieves might as well murder whom they rob, to remove witnesses, if the punishment is going to be the same.

He lays most of the problems of theft on the practice of the enclosing of common land, and the subsequent poverty and starvation of people who are denied access to land because of sheep farming.

In the book Raphael points out that:

Plato doubtless did well foresee, unless kings themselves would apply their minds to the study of philosophy, that else they would never thoroughly allow the council of philosophers, being themselves before, even from their tender age, infected and corrupt with perverse and evil opinions.