Utopia

De Optimo Republicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia (translated On the Best State of a Republic and on the New Island of Utopia) or more simply Utopia is a 1516 book by Sir (Saint) Thomas More.The book, written in Latin, is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs. The name of the place is derived from the Greek words I I u ("e;not"e;) and I I I I I topos ("e;place"e;), with the topographical suffix -I I a eia, hence IYI I I I I I a outopeia (Latinized as Utopia), "e;no-place land."e; It also contains a pun, however, because "e;Utopia"e; could also be the Latinization of I I I I I I I a eutopeia, "e;good-place land,"e; which uses the Greek prefix I I eu, "e;good,"e; instead of I I . One interpretation holds that this suggests that while Utopia might be some sort of perfected society, it is ultimately unreachable. Despite modern connotations of the word "e;utopia,"e; it is widely accepted that the society More describes in this work was not actually his own "e;perfect society."e; Rather he wished to use the contrast between the imaginary land's unusual political ideas and the chaotic politics of his own day as a platform from which to discuss social issues in Europe.