Utopia: Crofts Classics

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'To find citizens ruled by good and wholesome laws, that is an exceeding rare, and hard thing.'Thomas More's Utopia presents an account of an idealised fictional society that has fascinated readers since its first publication in Latin in 1516. It is a scathing critique of More's contemporaries and a hopeful portrait of a better world; a ridiculous satire of the rich and powerful, and a personal exploration of what constitutes a good life.This edition is based on the first English translation of Utopia, produced in the mid-sixteenth century, allowing readers to understand how More was read on publication and the effects of the translator's changes upon the book's legacy. The introduction by Joanne Paul provides insights into More's context and intentions, exploring why this work has been so influential in modern utopian literature and in political theory through the ages.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

In addition to its elegant and precise translation of Utopia , this edition offers the prefatory material and postscripts from the 1518 edition, and More's letter to Giles form the 1517 edition. Mr. Wootton has also added Erasmus's 'The Sileni of Alcibiades,' which is crucial for the interpretation he gives in his Introduction of the many ambiguities and contradictions in More's text as well as his life. The Introduction is a most valuable guide for understanding this man who was a proponent of toleration and a persecutor of heretics, a courtier full of worldly ambition ending as a fearless martyr. The contradictions of the man translated into a complicated and contradictory historiography to which Mr. Wootton's Introduction is a most intelligent guide. A welcome addition to the More literature. --J. W. Smit, Professor of History, Columbia University
Every serious reader of Utopia , friends and foes alike of Thomas More, will be enlightened by Wootton's essay. Combining it with his translations of More and Erasmus works well. This is a delightfully fine piece of scholarship, even down to the notes on the illustrations. --Donald J. Millus, Sixteenth Century Journal
Like his Introduction, which says much, both directly and indirectly, about the complexity of More's language and mentality, David Wootton's translation of the Utopia is a thoughtful and careful one. Wootton has been particularly scrupulous in his handling of marginal annotations. . . notes are economical but helpful. Students interested in 16th century humanism and/or developments in early modern Europe will find this edition especially appealing, as will everyone interested in interpretations of More's Utopia , here fruitfully juxtaposed with Erasmus' philosophy and perspective on the world as these are represented by his adage on 'The Sileni of Alcibiades.' --Elizabeth McCutcheon, Utopian Studies

Includes several other texts by More and others, providing essential context to the reading of the work

Introduction; The life of Sir Thomas More; Utopia; Notes; Index of names; Glossary.