This final statement by More presents a puzzle that has led to a major controversy over whether or not he subscribed to the plan for a society such as he had described in the book. Those who believe that the scheme of Utopia does not represent More's serious philosophy theorize that in describing that fictitious country and its government he was merely letting his fancy range through some uncharted regions of his mind. They have his explicit statement to support their interpretation: ". . . many things occurred to me, both concerning the manners and the laws of that people, that seemed very absurd. . ." They can also point to More's later career, in which he played an energetic role in the less-than-perfect government of Henry VIII, plus the fact that his allegiance to the Roman Catholic church was so firm that he faced a martyr's death.
The opposing school of critics supports the interpretation that More was in large measure serious about the Utopian plan. They doubt that an author would devote an entire book to a proposition that he regarded as absurd. The radical concept of utopists, it may be recalled, was that to create a design for an ideal society, one must discard the existing one and start afresh. It is true that More, as a practical man, was willing to serve an imperfect society, hoping to effect some improvements, since he realized full well that it could not be abruptly overhauled. Time after time, throughout the book, comparisons are drawn between Utopia and Europe, always at the expense of Europe and its "Christian nations," a fact that indicates his admiration for a good deal in the Utopian plan.
