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  • Essay / Review of the work “Utopia” by Thomas More

    “The Utopia” of Thomas More is a work that fundamentally encompasses and endorses the key values ​​of the Renaissance humanists. Despite various interpretations that argue otherwise, in this essay I will argue this through its discussion of education and emphasis on persuasive rhetoric. More demonstrates support for core humanist beliefs. I will use scholarly articles such as “Education, Erasmian Humanism, and More’s “Utopia” by John M. Parrish alongside “The Walled Garden of Thomas More: “Utopia” and Humanism of the Renaissance” by Wayne A. Rebhorn to support my argument. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It is important to note first of all what is meant by “values ​​espoused by most Renaissance humanists.” The World History Encyclopaedia defines Renaissance humanism as "a movement of thought, literature, and art, characterized by a renewed interest in the classical world and studies that focused not on religion but on that what does it mean to be human? The central values ​​at the heart of this movement, to name just a few, are those of education, the nature of persuasive rhetoric, individualism and classicism, and More's utopia can be seen as the culmination of these humanist beliefs. The state of religion in Utopia reveals striking differences from some religious practices of 1516. At first we learn that the Utopians were granted religious freedom to the extent that they have freedom of belief, which results in a worship of things ranging from the sun to the moon to freedom of religion. virtue. Such liberality did not exist in the Roman Catholic world, which firmly insisted on the principle of one Church, one authoritative doctrine, and one divine ruler. However, it can be argued that this passage from “Utopia” should be considered nothing more than a simple fantasy. Indeed, there are countless examples of More's loyalty to his church, such as when he helped Wolsey prevent the importation of Lutheran texts into England, his famous last words "I die a faithful servant of the king, but first of all from God.” Although the theme of religion is one that is debated in "Utopia" as to whether it was a critique of Renaissance humanist beliefs or simply a fantasy that More did not really support, the concept of education is one that "Utopia" greatly supports alongside common humanist beliefs of the Renaissance. Renaissance humanists believed in the value and importance of education because they believed it could radically change individuals. They sought to create a population capable of conveying their ideas eloquently through speech and writing, skills that could be acquired through the study of grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy. The Greco-Roman concept of "uomo universal", meaning universal man, is essential in explaining the value of education for Renaissance humanists, because the goal of humanism was to create a universal man whose person combined the intellectual and physical excellence and who was able to function honorably in any given situation. These same values ​​are largely present in More's Utopia, in which he offers innovative perspectives on education. At the time of writing, only a select group of wealthy individuals had access to education. Yet in the text More states that every utopian child receives an education.