Utopia

By (author) More Thomas
Short description/annotation
This extraordinary treatise on the values of rationality and reason is here presented in a sparkling new translation by Roger Clarke and accompanied by copious notes and additional texts.
Description
In Thomas More''s hugely influential Utopia, a traveller recounts his discovery of an island nation in which the inhabitants enjoy unprecedented social cohesion and justice. The book imagines a community in which laws, personal relations and professional ambition are based on reason, in contrast with the tradition-bound superstitions of Europe, which were, in More''s eyes, impediments to equality and peaceful coexistence.One of the indicators of the profound cultural and political influence of More''s masterpiece is today''s common use of the word "Utopia" - a term he invented. This extraordinary treatise on the values of rationality and reason - here presented in a sparkling new translation by Roger Clarke and accompanied by copious notes and additional texts - questions what a philosopher can do to enact change in society, and how idealized visions can inform political practice.
Review quote
"Astonishingly radical stuff." - Terry Eagleton
Biographical note
As a philosopher, author, statesman and humanist, Thomas More (1478-1535) was one of the most influential thinkers of the English Renaissance. He was a councillor to Henry VIII, who famously ordered his execution, and is venerated as a saint in Catholicism. More''s Utopia is considered one of the most influential philosophical works of all time.
Promotional headline
One of the most famous ideal societies portrayed in fiction. Here presented in a brand-new translation by Roger Clarke. Wonderfully annotated with an extensive apparatus and additional material which make this edition unique.
Description for collection
Alma Classics Evergreens is a series of popular classics. All the titles in the series are provided with an extensive critical apparatus, extra reading material including a section of photographs and notes. The texts are based on the most authoritative edition (or collated from the most authoritative editions or manuscripts) and edited using a fresh, intelligent editorial approach. With an emphasis on the production, editorial and typographical values of a book, Alma Classics aspires to revitalize the whole experience of reading the classics.
Feature
Brand-new translation of one of the most influential philosophical texts
Feature
Includes several other texts by More and others, providing essential context to the reading of the work
Feature
Translated by critically acclaimed translator Roger Clarke
Feature
Fully annotated edition