Thomas More
An English lawyer, social philosopher, humanist, and statesman, revered as a Catholic saint. He is best known for his influential work Utopia, a fictional account of a perfect island society. More's Utopia explored themes of political governance, religious tolerance, social justice, and communal living, offering a critical commentary on European society of his time. His intellectual curiosity and willingness to challenge prevailing norms made him a significant figure in both political thought and literary history.
Utopia is Thomas More's work of philosophical fiction, imagining the island of the title, on which thousands live in peace and harmony. Through dialogue and correspondence between Raphael Hythloday and his friends and contemporaries, More explores the theories behind war, political disagreements, social quarrels and wealth distribution, and goes into the day to day lives of those citizens enjoying freedom from fear, oppression, violence and suffering. This vision of an ideal world is also a scathing satire of Europe in the sixteenth century which has been hugely influential since publication, shaping utopian fiction even to the present day.