Utopia Themes

Hythloday can't get no satisfaction from the current state affairs in Europe. That's how that song goes, right? The more we get to know the protagonist of Utopia, the clearer it is that he just isn...

Pride is the problem. At least for Hythloday it's that simple. In Utopia, Hythloday sees Pride as public enemy #1, the main contributor to every political, social, and economic issue facing Europe....

Utopia is not your average island for many a reason, but its social organization and hierarchies are probably the most obvious difference between there and, well, anywhere else. Often considered to...

Utopia is chock full of social commentary. And when Hythloday gets to Utopia, he's pretty taken with their unorthodox way of eliminating wealth: no private property. Without private ownership, ther...

Sure, Hythloday spends a lot of time discussing religion, but it's also one of the subjects that keeps his readers guessing. Why? Well, it's a pretty hot topic, and since More was writing Utopia at...

Think Utopia is just a story about three regular guys having a little chat in a garden? Fine, it is. But it's also a profound examination of the power of, um, power: who should have it, how they sh...

Philosophy, meet adventure. Adventure, this is philosophy. Shmoopers, here they are, brought together for your delight in More's Utopia. Despite being concerned with lots of Big Important Themes, t...

Who runs the world? Philosophers! Not really, but Hythloday thinks they should—and they kind of do in Utopia. In fact, Hythloday thinks that the political health of Europe is in serious danger if...