Thomas More (Classic Thinkers)

Thomas More Remains One Of The Most Enigmatic Thinkers In History, Due In Large Part To The Enduring Mysteries Surrounding His Best-known Work, Utopia. He Has Been Variously Thought Of As A Reformer And A Conservative, A Civic Humanist And A Devout Christian, A Proto-communist And A Monarchical Absolutist. His Work Spans Contemporary Disciplines From History To Politics To Literature, And His Ideas Have Variously Been Taken Up By Seventeenth-century Reformers And Nineteenth-century Communists. Through A Comprehensive Treatment Of More's Writing, From His Earliest Poetry To His Reflections On Suffering In The Tower Of London, Joanne Paul Engages With Both The Rich Variety And Some Of The Fundamental Consistencies That Run Throughout More's Works. In Particular, Paul Highlights More's Concern With The Destruction Of What Is Held 'in Common', Whether It Be In The Commonwealth Or In The Body Of The Church. In So Doing, She Re-establishes More's Place In The History Of Political Thought, Tracing The Reception Of His Ideas To The Present Day. Paul's Book Serves As An Essential Foundation For Any Student Encountering More's Writing For The First Time, As Well As Providing An Innovative Reconsideration Of The Place Of His Works In The History Of Ideas.-- The Thought Of Thomas More -- Early Life, Education, And Poetry -- Utopia And Common Things -- Richard Iii And The Stage Play Of Politics -- The Common Corps Of Christendom -- Influence. Joanne Paul. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Table of Contents -- Series page -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- Key Dates -- The Thought of Thomas More -- Scholarship -- Humanism and Common Usage -- Outline -- Notes -- 1: Early Life, Education and Poetry -- Early Life and Education -- Pride and Fortune -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 2: Utopia and 'Common Things' -- Diplomacy -- Inspiration -- Book 1 -- Book 2 -- The Lessons of Utopia -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 3: Richard III and the Stage Play of Politics -- Texts and Contexts -- Ars Historica -- Sources -- Public Opinion and the Stage Play of Politics -- Unity and Disunity in the Commonwealth -- Riot -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 4: The Common Corps of Christendom -- Background -- Style -- Heresy -- Authority -- Human Nature -- The Common Corps of Christendom -- Representation and the General Council -- Trial -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 5: Influence -- Reputation -- Literature -- Early Modern Political Thought -- Utopias -- The Enlightenment -- Socialism and Communism -- Notes -- Conclusion -- Note -- References -- Recommended Reading -- Online Resources -- Tudor England -- Early Modern Europe -- The Church and the Reformation -- Humanism -- General Studies: Thomas More -- Biographies -- Early Works -- Utopia -- History of Richard the Third -- Polemics and Religious Works -- Legacy -- Index -- End User License Agreement La 4e de couverture indique : "Thomas More remains one of the most enigmatic thinkers in history, due in large part to the enduring mysteries surrounding his best-known work, Utopia. He has been variously thought of as a reformer and a conservative, a civic humanist and a devout Christian, a proto-communist and a monarchical absolutist. His work spans contemporary disciplines from history to politics to literature, and his ideas have variously been taken up by seventeenth-century reformers and nineteenth-century communists. Through a comprehensive treatment of More's writing, from his earliest poetry to his reflections on suffering in the Tower of London, Joanne Paul engages with both the rich variety and some of the fundamental consistencies that run throughout More's works. In particular, Paul highlights More's concern with the destruction of what is held in 'common', whether it be in the commonwealth or in the body of the church. In so doing, Paul reestablishes More's place in the history of political thought, tracing the reception of his ideas to the present day. Paul's book serves as an essential foundation for any student encountering More's writing for the first time, as well as providing an innovative reconsideration of the place of his works in the history of ideas." Thomas More remains one of the most enigmatic thinkers in history, due in large part to the enduring mysteries surrounding his best-known work, Utopia. He has been variously thought of as a reformer and a conservative, a civic humanist and a devout Christian, a proto-communist and a monarchical absolutist. His work spans contemporary disciplines from history to politics to literature, and his ideas have variously been taken up by seventeenth-century reformers and nineteenth-century communists. Through a comprehensive treatment of More's writing, from his earliest poetry to his reflections on suffering in the Tower of London, Joanne Paul engages with both the rich variety and some of the fundamental consistencies that run throughout More's works. In particular, Paul highlights More's concern with the destruction of what is held 'in common', whether it be in the commonwealth or in the body of the church. In so doing, she re-establishes More's place in the history of political thought, tracing the reception of his ideas to the present day. Paul's book serves as an essential foundation for any student encountering More's writing for the first time, as well as providing an innovative reconsideration of the place of his works in the history of ideas.-- Provided by Publisher Thomas More remains one of the most enigmatic thinkers in history, due in large part to the enduring mysteries surrounding his best-known work, Utopia. He has been variously thought of as a reformer and a conservative, a civic humanist and a devout Christian, a proto-communist and a monarchical absolutist. His work spans contemporary disciplines from history to politics to literature, and his ideas have variously been taken up by seventeenth-century reformers and nineteenth-century communists.

Through a comprehensive treatment of More's writing, from his earliest poetry to his reflections on suffering in the Tower of London, Joanne Paul engages with both the rich variety and some of the fundamental consistencies that run throughout More's works. In particular, Paul highlights More's concern with the destruction of what is held 'in common', whether it be in the commonwealth or in the body of the church. In so doing, she re-establishes More's place in the history of political thought, tracing the reception of his ideas to the present day.

Paul's book serves as an essential foundation for any student encountering More's writing for the first time, as well as providing an innovative reconsideration of the place of his works in the history of ideas.

Thomas More remains one of the most enigmatic thinkers in history, due in large part to the enduring mysteries surrounding his best-known work, Utopia. He has been variously thought of as a reformer and a conservative, a civic humanist and a devout Christian, a proto-communist and a monarchical absolutist. His work spans contemporary disciplines from history to politics to literature, and his ideas have variously been taken up by seventeenth-century reformers and nineteenth-century communists. Through a comprehensive treatment of More's writing, from his earliest poetry to his reflections on suffering in the Tower of London, the author engages with both the rich variety and some of the fundamental consistencies that run throughout More's works.--Publisher's description Preface vi Abbreviations ix Key Dates xi Introduction: The Thought of Thomas More 1 1 Early Life, Education and Poetry 15 2 Utopia and 'Common Things' 29 3 Richard III and the Stage Play of Politics 60 4 The Common Corps of Christendom 83 5 Influence 116 Conclusion 141 Notes 146 References 158 Recommended Reading 169 Index 174