Utopia (book)

De Optimo Reipublicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia (translated On the Best State of a Republic and on the New Island of Utopia) or more simply Utopia is a 1516 book by Sir Thomas More.

Related Topics:
1516 - Thomas More

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The book, written in Latin, is a depiction of a fictional island society and it compares that land's unusual political ideas with the contemporary politics of Europe. The name of the place, Utopia, is a reference to the Greek words ou-topos, meaning "no place", and eu-topos, meaning "good place". This suggests that while Utopia may be a perfect society it is ultimately unreachable.

Related Topics:
Latin - Europe

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What probably first suggested the idea for Utopia to Thomas More was his work with Erasmus, when they jointly translated some of Lucian's works from Greek into Latin. Among these dialogs one involved the story of Menippus, the Greek playwright, descending into the underworld and describing what he found there. The other significant influence was Plato's Republic, which is a far more politically motivated work about imaginary lands; it is referred to several times in Utopia.

Related Topics:
Erasmus - Lucian - Greek - Dialog - Menippus - Plato - Republic

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