{"product_id":"before-utopia-ross-dealy-9781487506599","title":"Before Utopia: The Making of Thomas More's Mind","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBefore Utopia\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates that Thomas More's \u003ci\u003eUtopia\u003c\/i\u003e (1516) is not, as is widely accepted, a rhetorical play of spirit but is instead built from a particular philosophy. That philosophy is not Platonism, but classical Stoicism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeeply disturbed in his youth by the conviction that he needed to decide between a worldly and a monastic path, Thomas More was transformed in 1504 by Erasmus' \u003ci\u003eDe taedio Iesu\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eEnchiridion\u003c\/i\u003e. As a consequence, he married in 1505 and wholeheartedly committed himself to worldly affairs. His \u003ci\u003eLucian\u003c\/i\u003e (1506), written after working directly with Erasmus, adopts the Stoic mindset; Erasmus' \u003ci\u003ePraise of Folly\u003c\/i\u003e (1511) shows from beginning to end the workings of More's life-changing Stoic outlook. More's \u003ci\u003eUtopia\u003c\/i\u003e then goes on to systematically illustrate the Stoic unitary two-dimensional frame of thought within an imaginary New World setting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eBefore Utopia\u003c\/i\u003e is not just a book about Thomas More. It is a book about intellectual history and the movement of ideas from the ancient world to the Renaissance. Ross Dealy emphasizes the continuity between Erasmus and More in their religious and philosophical thought, and above all the decisive influence of Erasmus on More.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ross Dealy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1487506597\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781487506599\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Toronto Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/03\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 6.50w x 1.40d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2021","brand":"Ross Dealy","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44149471576319,"sku":"9781487506599","price":132.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_2824ba4b-c726-4b7a-a01c-bd6bf701484b.jpg?v=1688456907","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/before-utopia-ross-dealy-9781487506599","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}