25 Utopia Quotes From the Classic Thomas More Novel

These Utopia quotes will take you to a fictional island created by Thomas More.

Utopia is a fictional novel by Thomas More and was initially published in Latin in 1516 and later published in English in 1551.

The book depicts a fictional society on an island and discusses its religious, social, and political customs.

Life in monasteries may have inspired the book as many of the descriptions of Utopia parallel life in monasteries.

Utopia is split into three areas, the first being the “Preliminary Matter,” which includes a map of the island, the alphabet of Utopia, and the dedication.

The book is split into two sections called “Book one: Dialogue of Counsel” and “Book two: Discourse on Utopia.”

The story is told from the perspective of More as he is both the narrator and in the story itself.

Take a look at these Utopia quotes to learn more about this novel.

You will also enjoy our article on Atlas Shrugged quotes.

Best Utopia Quotes from the Book

These quotes give you a quick glimpse into the classic book.

1. “Nature, the mother of all, has made everything plentiful, but man has made property.” — Thomas More

2. “You wouldn’t abandon ship in a storm just because you couldn’t control the winds.” — Thomas More

3. “The welfare of the people is the ultimate law.” — Thomas More

4. “It is not wisdom but authority that makes a law.” — Thomas More

5. “A pretty face may be enough to catch a man, but it takes character and good nature to hold him.” — Thomas More

6. “The happiness of the individual is inseparable from the welfare of the community.” — Thomas More

7. “The fruits of the earth belong to everyone and the earth itself to no one.” — Thomas More

8. “Their manner of living is very plain and simple, without pomp or luxury.” — Thomas More

9. “We are all one countryman and members of the same community.” — Thomas More

10. “It is better to be a witty fool than a foolish wit.” — Thomas More

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Utopia Quotes Telling the Story

These quotes show you the tone and feel of the story.

11. “No man can live happily who regards himself alone; who turns everything to his own advantage.” — Thomas More

12. “Gold, to be sure, is of no use to them; but they have other metals in abundance, and need no more.” — Thomas More

13. “As for riches, they are all of the same opinion, for they think that the use of money should be to purchase necessaries, and not superfluities.” — Thomas More

14. “In Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full, no private man can want anything.” — Thomas More

15. “The Utopians are not allowed to engage in any war unless it is to defend their own territory.” — Thomas More

16. “They are not influenced by the desire of gain; they are not ambitious of honors; they have no jealousy, and they know no faction.” — Thomas More

17. “They detest war as a very brutal thing, and which, to the reproach of human nature, is more practiced by men than by any sort of beasts.” — Thomas More

You will also enjoy our article on Darker quotes.

What Life is Like in Utopia Quotes

These quotes show you what living in Utopia society would be like.

18. “No man can be a good citizen unless he has a respect for the law.” — Thomas More

19. “They consider agriculture as the most honorable of all occupations.” — Thomas More

20. “They do not make slaves of prisoners of war, except those that are taken in battle.” — Thomas More

21. “They are not less diligent in learning those things that tend to the improvement of the mind than of the body.” — Thomas More

22. “They are careful to give their children a good education, that they may be qualified to act as citizens when they come to age.” — Thomas More

23. “The Utopians have long ago discovered that the happiness of a nation depends entirely on the virtue of its people.” — Thomas More

24. “They maintain that a wise man ought not to expose himself to danger for any consideration of glory; and that it is better to preserve a whole people than to rescue a few persons from destruction.” — Thomas More

25. “For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them?” — Thomas More

What is the Plot of the Novel?

In the story, More is introduced to a traveler named Raphael Hythloday, who is critical of modern political practices in Catholicism-dominated countries.

Hythloday goes on to tell of the island where he lives and claims about his perceived superior social structure, which ends up being a socialist country.

There are arguments as to whether More himself believed in socialism or if he was trying to show that socialism is impractical and will not work in modern society.

Please share these Utopia quotes with your friends and family and post any comments about the novel in the comment section below.