The Philosopher
Thomas More
The face
The background
- Nationality:
- English
- Schools:
- Christian humanism, Renaissance humanism
- Period:
- Renaissance
The synopsis
Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535) was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, theologian, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord Chancellor from October 1529 to May 1532. He wrote *Utopia*, published in 1516, which describes the political system of an imaginary island state. More opposed the Protestant Reformation, directing polemics against Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli and William Tyndale. More also opposed Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church, refusing to acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, More was convicted of treason on what he stated was false evidence, and was executed. Pope Pius XI canonised More in 1935 as a martyr. Pope John Paul II in 2000 declared him the patron saint of statesmen and politicians.
The works
Utopia
Responsio ad Lutherum
A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation
The History of King Richard III
Epigrams
Religious polemics
Correspondence
The quotes
If honor were profitable, everybody would be honorable.
I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first.
For when they see the people swarm into the streets, and daily wet to the skin with rain, and yet cannot persuade them to go out of the rain, they do keep themselves within their houses, seeing they cannot remedy the folly of the people.
See me safe up: for in my coming down, I can shift for myself.
They wonder much to hear that gold, which in itself is so useless a thing, should be everywhere so much esteemed, that even men for whom it was made, and by whom it has its value, should yet be thought of less value than it is.
Whoever loveth me, loveth my hound.
And it will fall out as in a complication of diseases, that by applying a remedy to one sore, you will provoke another; and that which removes the one ill symptom produces others.
Those among them that have not received our religion do not fright any from it, and use none ill that goes over to it, so that all the while I was there one man was only punished on this occasion.
And, indeed, though they differ concerning other things, yet all agree in this: that they think there is one Supreme Being that made and governs the world, whom they call, in the language of their country, Mithras.
A little wanton money, which burned out the bottom of his purse.