Plato, Thomas More, and the Functions of Utopias

• In Event: Ancient and Modern Literary Constitutionalism

Brief Overview

This paper contrasts Plato’s Republic and More’s Utopia to explore how a utopia’s form impacts its function: The Republic is prescriptive but Utopia is descriptive, not a blueprint. Both test the desirability and limits of political ideals.

Author

• Haidun Liu, Harvard University