More

by John Dunn, Ian Harris

Overview

Thomas More (1478-1535), English statesman, author and saint, was a lawyer, politician and diplomat, a leading member of the Renaissance of northern Europe and a defender of the Roman Catholic faith. In the history of political thought More is remembered as the author of Utopia, a little book which gave rise to a genre of literature and a name for a mode of theorising, which explicitly criticises existing political and social arrangements from a radical perspective and also offers new ideals and illustrates how these might be realised in an imaginery society.

For over four hundred years the meaning of More's Utopia has confounded scholars. Many of the ideas advanced in the book, e.g. on rational religion and religious toleration, seem to be at odds with the events of More's political career and his practical religious position. Moreover there is much disagreement about the meaning and importance of the substantial satiric elements it contains.

This collection contains a great variety of authoritative articles which not only investigate More's life and the influences on his work, but also offer the reader a selection of the various interpretations and comparisons of his writings that scholars have made in the course of this century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781858981024
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	11/18/1997
Series:	Great Political Thinkers series , #6
Pages:	978
Product dimensions:	6.62(w) x 9.62(h) x (d)

About the Author

Edited by John Dunn, Fellow, Kings College and Professor of Political Theory, University of Cambridge, UK and Ian Harris, Department of Politics, University of Leicester, UK

Editorial Reviews

Fifty-three journal articles published between 1935-1994 present contributions from each school of thought. The authors address Thomas More's primary works and concerns<-->most discuss "Utopia"<-->while providing examples of how thought and scholarship have changed over a 60-year period. This series is especially valuable where relevant academic journals<-->including journals of medieval and Renaissance studies, philology, English literature, ecclesiastical history, and philosophy<-->are unavailable. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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