Utopia

"Travel and Trade"

Citizens are free to travel throughout Utopia, though they must get the prince's permission. Leaving without permission brings severe punishment. All cities share their surpluses with cities in need, and when all need has been met, they sell their surpluses abroad. Utopians keep a large store of money in the treasury and generally use it in wartime.

"Their Gold and Silver"

Utopians have so much gold and silver that they use it to make their bathroom fixtures, and they scorn the metals rather than covet them. This way, if gold and silver are needed, such as to pay soldiers in wartime, citizens will not hesitate to turn them over.

"Their Moral Philosophy"

All Utopians are educated, since through education an individual's values and attitudes take shape. Utopians devote much of their free time to learning, and they are advanced in the sciences. They avoid pointless abstractions in philosophy and focus instead on the meaning of life and the nature of happiness, themes that relate to their belief in the afterlife. They distinguish between true pleasure, which arises from care of the mind and body, and false pleasure in status and appearance.

"Their Delight in Learning"

Hythloday describes how eager the Utopians were to learn Greek and how happy they were to read the works of Greek grammarians, historians, and philosophers that Hythloday left behind after a journey. The Utopians are fast learners and are always ready to learn skills to make life more agreeable, such as printing and paper making.

"Slaves"

Utopians do not execute criminals but rather condemn them to slavery, and they offer asylum to criminals sentenced to death in other countries. The slave class consists not only of domestic and foreign criminals but also of foreign soldiers captured in battle.

"Care of the Sick and Dying"

Utopians properly care for the sick, and priests encourage euthanasia for the terminally ill. Those who refuse euthanasia are still well cared for. Suicide is condemned, however, and the bodies of people who kill themselves without priests' approval are disposed of carelessly.

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