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Publication of Utopia
In 1516 Thomas More's political philosophy work Utopia, written in Latin, was first published in Louvain, depicting through a fictional island societ…
Timeline
- 1515–1516Louvain · BelgiumMore used the humanist dialogue form to narrate the fictional traveler Raphael Hythloday's account of the island of Utopia, describing an ideal society without private property, with elected officials and a focus on education, while using the occasion to criticize English enclosure and harsh punishments.
- 1516–1518European humanist circles · EuropeThe work was reprinted in Basel and elsewhere and translated into many languages; the word 'utopia' became a common concept for describing ideal societies, influencing later political thought and literary creation.
Sources
- Libellus vere aureus, nec minus salutaris quam festivus, de optimo rei publicae statu deque nova insula Utopia — Thomas More (1516)
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Utopia (book by More) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Utopia-book-by-More