Humanistic ideals of the north renaissance in ‘the utopia’ by Thomas More

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to analyze the peculiarities of humanistic mentality of the Northern Renaissance. The authors suggest a modern consideration of the formation of the humanistic mentality in Europe of the XVI century, analyzing treatise by Thomas More ‘The Utopia". The article presents the characteristics of the country Utopia, as an original form of the society, where the main factor is the understanding of social and spiritual ideal. In this
context there presented a figure of Thomas More as a first humanist of the period of the North Renaissance. The methodology of the research lies in usage of historical, cultural, systematic, bibliographical, cultural and theoretical and generalizing methods. Mentioned above methods allow to present the dynamics of cultural and historical process of
development of the Northern Renaissance, systematizing separate culture events in England of the XVI century, to analyze vital and creative way by Thomas More in the context of this epoch, to comprehend the dynamics of general cultural process in Europe of the XVI century and to resume the research. Scientific novelty is caused by wide usage of
the biographical method, based on which the analysis of the ideals "The Utopia" and the life of Thomas More are united. Personal life of Thomas More and his behavior before the death turned out to be a certain embodiment of the humanistic moral ideal, realization of the conception of dignity and studies about person’s freedom. Conclusions. Having analyzed
‘The Utopia’ there becomes evident its inclination to the basis of the Renaissance humanism. It synthesizes everything that humanistic thought achieved, including new impulses for the development of society conscience of the epoch. In the form of Utopian statehood there worked out economic, political, moral and juridical structure that corresponded to the
concept of man, formed in the Renaissance culture. In fact, the way of Utopian life, where there were canceled private property, money usage, inherited privileges, became a certain culmination of humanistic conception about organization of society that raises educated and honest people. Namely, humanists infinitely ardent in learning sciences and arts and upbringing of civility, were meant to play the first role in the state, based on the principals of unity, without overburdening with the dependence from the benevolence and fancies of richness and gentility. Though future history of the development of world civilization did not formulate "ideal society" in practice, "The Utopia" by T. More became an attempt
of the answer of humanistic thought to the tragic contradiction of the epoch with ideal of the classless society organization with dominating philosophical, ethic, social and political ideals of humanism. Forming and maintaining them, Thomas More relied on the principals of the worldview, gained by the development of the culture of Renaissance epoch.