John Lennon’s song “Imagine” was released in 1971 and is one of the most well-known “utopias” to this day. John Lennon pictures a society in which there is no religion, no countries, world peace, no possessions, and no discrimination. Similarly to Thomas More, Lennon’s version of society was heavily influenced by the historical events of his time. Lennon was writing during the time of the Vietnam War during which there was a large movement that called for world peace and for America to cease involvement in the war. While their ideas of what a true utopia is may differ, the overarching themes of the importance of equality and a change from the status quo of their times, echo throughout both works.

Thomas More establishes that a good society facilitates a happy person, and true happiness is achieved through pleasure and virtue. This quote expands on More’s understanding of how true happiness is achieved and what pleasure includes. He says that Utopians believe that a man’s reason alone can not “carry him to a truer idea” of pleasure and virtue. One cannot find happiness through reason alone. This reference to reason is a direct criticism of scholasticism’s attempt to understand God through dialectical reasoning. With respect to true pleasures, he says “some belong to the body, and others to the mind” (Book 2). According to More, reasonably understanding everything about God will not make you happy or virtuous. Instead, we cannot have virtue or pleasure without “discovery from heaven” and only through trust in God can we be inspired with “sublimer notions.” What does pleasure mean for More? Pleasure is a gift from God of the body and of the mind. Therefore it is the chief aim of human life: to bring glory and honor to God through actions and faith will bring one true happiness.

Thomas More lived through a time of great religious turmoil and he began writing Utopia in 1515, only two years before Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses. While he was in opposition to Luther since More was a devout supporter of the Catholic Church to the point of dying in defense of his faith, he was good friends with Erasmus, one of the leading Christian Humanist reformers of the 16th century who was critical of the abuses within the church. Therefore, More’s criticism of extreme wealth could be directly tied to the selling of indulgences. Many clergy members in the 1500s were living lavishly through corrupt practices. The Utopians reject worldly things in the way that the clergy was supposed to.

A recurring theme throughout Utopia is the purpose and presence of pleasure in all senses of the word: body and mind. The word pleasure is derived from the French word “plaiser.” The OED definition of the word from around 1526 was “Sensuous enjoyment regarded as a chief object of life or end in itself; pure enjoyment or entertainment, hedonism. Frequently contrasted with business.” The OED shows us that this definition and understanding of the word became popularized due to William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible in 1526, only 10 years after Thomas More wrote Utopia. While this definition was established after Utopia was written, the connotation of the word could have been influenced by More’s writings surrounding pleasure and More certainly uses this definition of pleasure within his writing. In addition to this, the hedonist philosophy that pleasure is the highest aim of life has been around since ancient Greece, and as a Christian Humanist More would have understood this concept. In the OED, pleasure is defined as “a chief object of life or end in itself.” Some earlier definitions of the word refer to only bodily pleasure. However, here we see a more inclusive and deeper meaning of the word. If Utopia is meant to be an idealized society, and pleasure is the “chief dispute” for the Utopians, More is saying that pleasure is the goal of humanity. Pleasure, according to More, is the nature of human happiness. There is also a religious connection because this definition became popular after Tyndale’s use of this term in his translation of the Bible, which was also banned by Henry VIII and the Church. This could be seen as surprising because More remained a loyal member of the Catholic Church, however, this did not stop him from holding controversial opinions for his time. For More, pleasure is good because pleasure comes from God. Therefore, society should be in pursuit of pleasure.

Cuthbert Tunstall lived from 1474-1559 and was a church leader, Christian Humanist scholar, diplomat, and royal advisor. Similar to More, Tunstall was loyal to Roman Catholic dogma. In 1515, Tunstall accompanied Thomas More to the Netherlands to negotiate political matters. He was known as a shrewd and skillful negotiator. He held many similar views to Thomas More and was also known to have been friends with Erasmus. In 1550 Tunstall was imprisoned due to his conservative Catholic views during the Reformation in the Tower of London. In 1559, he refused to swear the oath of Supremacy to Elizabeth I. He was a widely respected figure among 16th-century Christian Humanists.