Utopia - 1 - The Mysterious Traveler
Book One
Quote
There is no man living that can tell you of so many strange and unknown peoples and countries as this man can.
Notes
🔥 First, an intro by the English translator, Ralph Robinson (Thomas More originally wrote Utopia in Latin). Robinson explains how this book contains worthy and entertaining ideas in a witty style that's worthwhile for him to translate as a humble offering to advance the public welfare, even though Thomas More questioned some fundamental Christian ideas. Also, it was Robinson's friend who really insisted on this translation, so he should get blame for it ultimately, Robinson says.
🔥 Thomas More writes an intro to his friend, Peter Giles, and explains that the substance of this book really comes from what they both heard from 'Master Raphael' - Raphael Hytholday - who spoke much more eloquently than he (More) could possibly match. Yet he still wanted to do the work of writing it all down with the little time he that he's able to steal away from sleeping, eating, and being with family.
🔥 More is passing the work to Peter Giles since they both heard the original story, so that he can check if More forgot anything or if he got anything wrong. Also, they forgot to ask Raphael where this 'Utopia' is located. And there's a bishop who wants to go there, not for a "vain and curious desire to see news," but so that he can spread Christianity there.
🔥 More is reluctant to publish this book at all and subject it to criticism and scrutiny by an ignorant public. "Some be so mutable and wavering, that every hour they be in a new mind, saying one thing sitting, and another standing."
🔥 After the preamble, the story finally begins. More is sent on a diplomatic mission outside the country where Peter Giles introduces him to a stranger with "a black, sunburned face, a long beard, and a cloak." This is Raphael Hythloday.
🔥 Raphael has devoted his life to philosophy, reading Greek, and traveling. He went on many voyages with Amerigo Vespucci, some of which were recorded, others not.
🔥 He traveled to a place called Gulike, he tells Peter and More, where he became friendly with some of the people. One person who was his guide brought him to places "full of people, governed by good and wholesome laws."
🔥 More doesn't ask for tales about monsters, since those can be found anywhere. "But to find citizens ruled by good and wholesome laws, that is an exceeding rare, and hard thing."
🔥 More tells Raphael that he could be an advisor to a prince with the knowledge he has gained. But Raphael isn't interested. Prince's care more about war than they do about how to govern well in peacetime. Plus, in that setting you subject yourself to other stubborn advisors who only want to protect their own standing and will shoot down anything that might threaten or contradict them.
🔥 He tells a story about seeing many men hanged for stealing in England and wonders if there's a more moderate punishment that exists that would keep someone from stealing but not kill them. For example, what about servants in a house who lose their master, are driven to poverty and then in their desperation they have to become thieves?
🔥 Raphael raises another factor, the true cause of stealing. That is that so much land is being used for sheep (...?). Nothing is left for farms or houses. People get kicked out of their homes and have to means to support themselves. People need opportunities for honest work so that they aren't driven to thievery.
🔥 The greed of a few drives up poverty for others. "Suffer not these rich men to buy up all, to engross, and forestall, and with their monopoly to keep the market alone as please them."
🔥 God's law forbids killing, and yet we kill people for stealing? If theft and murder are both punished by death, then a criminal will be more inclined to do both since it makes no real difference if they get caught.
🔥 Raphael explains a better alternative he saw in Persia where, instead of getting killed, the thief returns what he stole or pays back the value of it. And he is condemned to common labour. If the theft is more serious, he is held in prison, too. Essentially, they are put to good use for the common good, not killed. The idea is to remove the incentives that would encourage them to return to criminal behaviour.
🔥 More and Raphael imagine Raphael being an advisor to a king. Raphael would tell him not to go to war since it brings about so much destruction and lawlessness and it's enough trouble to rule over what one has in the first place.
🔥 Most advisors would counsel the king to enrich himself, that all that any of his people owns is really his. And keeping people impoverished makes them more easy to control. Raphael would advise against this, and that instead a king should care more for the wealth of his people than his own wealth. Especially since impoverished people are more restless for change and disruption. The Macarians have a law placing a limit on how much wealth a king can have. Maybe that's a good idea to follow. But this advice would be extremely unpopular.
🔥 You have to be realistic in your outlook and with how people are. "That which you cannot turn to good, so to order it that it be not very bad." Just because you can't completely transform things doesn't mean you should give up. Do what you can.
🔥 Raphael adds: "Where possessions be private, where money beareth all the stroke, it is hard and almost impossible that there the weal public may justly be governed and prosperously flourish." Unless you think it's better that all the wealth be concentrated in the hands of a few, since that is the inevitable outcome.
🔥 The Utopians, on the other hand, hold everything in common and enjoy abundance and wealth for all. They also have fewer laws since so many laws have to do with private property.
🔥 More questions how this system could produce wealth. Wouldn't everyone become lazy if they didn't have to work for what they own? Who would want to work in this society?
🔥 Raphael explains that the history of Utopia would answer that question best. So they all agree to first have dinner, and then to delve into the full story of Utopia.
Thoughts
It's interesting the way both the English translator and Thomas More have to give themselves cover for putting out this book. It feels like both of them are holding their hands up and saying they're not really responsible for what's in the book. More even puts in that there's a bishop that wants to go to Utopia to help spread Christianity there.
I suppose it is the church that both are afraid of offending with this book. It could be the tacit advocacy of communism (holding everything in common) that More is afraid of being controversial. Though I'm sure there will be more about the Utopians view of religion that will be even more offensive to the church of that time.
I wonder if there were any examples back then of a society that did hold everything in common, that maybe More had in mind as he was writing?