Thomas More’s Utopia, one of the most significant texts of English humanism, has become the ideal for a society based on fundamental human principles of fairness and justice. This program follows the progress of More’s intellectual development, from his early friendship with the influential humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, to his rise to power as a member of Parliament and later Chancellor of England, through his tempestuous relationship with King Henry VIII—who would eventually break away from the Catholic Church and set into motion More’s execution. In this program, quotations from Utopia serve as a dramatic counterpoint to More’s own life story, bringing into stark relief the contrast between his idealized state and the real world in which he lived and died. (24 minutes)