the open utopia
b y Da n i e l G o m e s
Utopia, the literature classic that immortalized its author’s name
and shaped an entire subgenre of fiction, has been made fully available
and free to read at theopenutopia.org, a website dedicated to honor the
legacy of Thomas More’s opus magnum.
son that led to his execution as well
Sir Thomas More was an ex-
as his canonization, as the Catholic
ceptionally accomplished man in
Church revere Thomas More as a
his lifetime: he enjoyed a successful
saint for his martyr’s death
career as a lawyer and a
in defense of the Church’s
statesman, which culmina-
unity.
ted in his appointment to
"Pride
thinks
Ye t n o n e o f t h e s e
the position of Lord High
its own
feats can match his
Chancellor of England
happiness
g round-braking satire
in 1529. He was also a
Utopia. First published in
Catholic philosopher and
shines the
Renaissance humanist ac-
brighter by 1516, the fictional work
quainted with some of the
comparing has gone on to form the
backbone of utopian and
brightest minds of his time,
it to the
dystopian literature and
including fellow humanist
misfortunes
to inspire economic and
Erasmus of Rotterdam.
of other
political ideologies such as
Moreover, More’s faith in
persons."
socialism and communism.
the Catholic doctrine led
Heavily based on Plato’s
him to battle the English
Republic and the emergent
Reformation and subse-
humanist ideals of More’s time,
quently reject the King’s supremacy
Utopia depicts an idyllic nation and
over the church – an act of high trea-
www.biblion.pt 31