Einführung in die Frühe Neuzeit
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6.5.2 Utopisches Denken (Morus)

Strukturen von Recht und Herrschaft
6. Politische Theorie und moderne Naturrechtslehre
6.5 Bürgerhumanismus und Tugendlehren
6.5.2 Utopisches Denken (Morus)

Quellen: Thomas Morus

Über die Staatsgewalt:
"Every thirty families choose annually an official whom in their ancient language they call a syphogrant but in their newer a phylarch. Over ten syphogrants with their families is set a person once called a tranibor but now a protophylarch. The whole body of syphogrants, in number two hundred, having sworn to choose the man whom they judge most useful, by secret balloting appoint a governor, specifically one of the four candidates named to them by the people, for one is selected out of each of the four quarters of the city to be commended to the senate. The governor holds office for life, unless ousted on suspicion of aiming at a tyranny. The tranibors are elected annually but are not changed without good reason. The other officials all hold their posts for one year. The tranibors enter into consultation with the governor every other day and sometimes, if need arises, oftener. […] The object of these measures, they say, is to prevent it from being easy, by a conspiracy between the governor and the tranibors and by tyrannous oppression of the people, to change the order of the commonwealth. Therefore whatever is considered important is laid before the assembly of the syphogrants who, after informing their groups of families, take counsel together and report their decision to the senate. Sometimes the matter is laid before the council of the whole island." ( More, Utopia, 67f.)

Über die tugendhaften Bürger:
"For it is their custom that public lectures are daily delivered in the hours before daybreak. Attendance is compulsory only for those who have been specially chosen to devote themselves to learning. A great number of all classes, however, both males and females, flock to hear the lectures, some to one and some to another, according to their natural inclination." "Though this system of changing farmers is the rule, to prevent any individual’s being forced against his will to continue too long in a life of rather hard work, yet many men who take a natural pleasure in agricultural pursuits obtain leave to stay several years." "To sum up, they cling above all to mental pleasures, which they value as the first and foremost of all pleasures. Of these the principal part they hold to arise from the practice of the virtues and the consciousness of a good life. Of those pleasures which the body supplies, they give the palm to health." ( More, Utopia, 70; 62; 100)

Über die verstaatliche Sozialkontrolle:
"The chief and almost the only function of the syphogrants is to manage and provide that no one sit idle, but that each apply himself industriously to his trade". "Now if any citizens conceive a desire either to visit their friends who reside in another city or to see the place itself, they easily obtain leave from their syphogrants and tranibors, unless some good reason prevents them". ( More, Utopia, 69; 82)

Über Gemeinschaftsbesitz und Außenpolitik:
"Outside Utopia, to be sure, men talk freely of the public welfare - but look after their private interests only. In Utopia, where noting is private, they seriously concern themselves with public affairs."
"War, as an activity fit only for beasts and yet practiced by no kind of beast so constantly as by man, they regard with utter loathing. Against the usage of almost all nations they count nothing so inglorious as glory sought in war." ( More, Utopia, 146; 118)

6.5.2 Utopisches Denken (Morus)

© 2003 by Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger • mail:  fnz.online@uni-muenster.de