Book cover for Open Utopia by Thomas More and Stephen Duncombe
2012 Released
272 Pages
4-6 Hours
Ebook Unavailable
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
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Minor CompositionsISBN 9781570272455
The Open Utopia is a complete English language edition of Thomas More�s Utopia that honors the primary precept of Utopia itself: that all property is common property. Licensed under Creative Commons, The Open Utopia conveys this message and continues the tradition. But Utopia is more than the story of a far-off land with no private property. It�s a text that instructs us how to approach texts, be they literary or political, in an open manner: open to criticism, open to participation, and open to re-creation. Utopia is no-place, and therefore it is up to all of us to imagine it.


Opinion polls, volatile voting patterns, and street protests demonstrate widespread dissatisfaction with the current system, yet the popular response so far has largely been limited to the angry outcries. But negation, by itself, affects nothing. The dominant system doesn�t dominate because people agree with it; it rules because we�re convinced there is no alternative.


We need to be able to imagine a radical alternative � a Utopia � yet we are haunted by the disasters of �actually existing� Utopias of the past century, from fascism to authoritarian socialism. In this re-issue of Thomas More�s generative volume, scholar and activist Stephen Duncombe re-imagines Utopia as an open text, one designed by More as an imaginal machine freeing us from the tyranny of the present while undermining master plans for the future. In this volume Utopia is re-imagined and brought into the participatory digital age as a technology for undermining authority and facilitating new imagination.

Thomas More

Thomas More balanced public duty with deep moral conviction, leaving a legacy shaped by intellect and principle. Born in 1478 in London, he rose to become a lawyer, scholar, and Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII before his dramatic fall from favor. A philosophy grounded in conscience, faith, and humanist ideals guided his life, often placing moral truth above political power.Intellectual curiosity and social critique define the heart of his work. In works such as Utopia, he crafted a cohesive and fluid vision of an ideal society governed by reason, communal life, and moral order, contrasting it with the injustices of his own time. Thoughtful narrative reveals how justice, discipline, and shared responsibility intertwine, inviting readers to question the structures of society.Enduring influence has made him a central figure in philosophy, politics, and literature. Readers and thinkers across centuries have debated and drawn from his ideas on society, governance, and moral responsibility. Today, his work remains widely read, valued for its insight, courage, and lasting impact on political thought and literary tradition.

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Stephen Duncombe

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