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Utopia III Or an Ambiguous Humanist Utopia for the Second Millennium

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Utopia III Or an Ambiguous Humanist Utopia for the Second Millennium CULTURE PROPORTION, dis-HARMONIES, IDENTITIES Utopia III or an ambiguous humanist utopia for the second particularly appreciated by Thomas More and ished the naïve dream that if they could turn a millennium his friend Erasmus. In fact, one of the char- lord, a city master, or a prince into humanists, acteristics of the humanist movement, which through proper education on the disciplines of Maria do Rosário MONTEIRO originated in Italy and then spread throughout humanitas, their apprentices would become CHAM – Centro de História d’Aquém e d’Além-Mar / Portuguese Centre for Global History – FCSH/NOVA-UAc Europe along the fifteenth and sixteenth cen- better governors, better chiefs, and better turies, was the concern to place Man and his kings. The city would come to be a harmoni- [email protected] city at the centre of the philosophical debate. ous place, almost a paradise on earth, where In his memorable Oration On the Dignity of peace would reign, for war was the most de- Man (1496), (also known as Manifesto of the graded human behaviour, especially when it Renaissance), Pico defends the supreme status took place among brothers in faith. Abstract of human beings in God’s Creation. They alone The Christian humanists, as came to be known There is a very long tradition of literary texts lennium, an important Portuguese utopia was have the power to choose freely their own the northerner scholars educated either in dealing with the city in literature. Many of them published: Utopia III, written by Pina Martins destiny, to determine whether to descend to Italy or by humanist teachers, developed an belong to the genre of literary utopia, founded (1998). This long novel is structured as being the level of the beasts or to ascend to heaven, excellent net of contacts via exhaustive ex- by Thomas More in 1516. The most common is- the sequel of More’s Utopia, presenting the equalling the angels if not surpassing them (for change of letters written in Latin (the lingua sue dealt in these utopias has to do with an at- history and actual status of the mother of all angels are what they are, they have no free- franca of knowledge), and adapted the Italian tempt to balance social conditions and relation- literary utopias. The question at the basis of dom of choice). This focus on the on free will, humanist principles to their northern reality. ships. Therefore, they usually present or defend the whole novel is, “What would More’s Utopia became be the corner-stone of the humanist Northern Europe had been profoundly marked different political statuses as a response to the be like today?” movement, at least until the the sixteenth by Thomas Kempis’ The Imitation of Christi, actual society the author lives in. This means The main goal of this text will be to present century religious secession [Pico’s statement written circa 1418-1427 (1901), a fundamental that utopia is naturally conditioned by time and a literary analysis of Utopia III, focusing on is cited by Pina Martins in Utopia III, integrat- text for a new form of experiencing Christians’ space, and the reader must make an effort to the humanist principles and their adaptation ing explicitly his novel in the humanist move- spiritual life, the Devotio Moderna, that flour- “transport” him/herself to that time and space to contemporary society, the search for a har- ment (1989: 152)]. It would become the focus ished in Germany and the Low Countries during if s/he wants to appreciate fully the fictional monious relationship between city and nature, of Eramus’ and Luther’s debate, a milestone of the fifteenth century. Erasmus, Thomas More, world construed by the author. the defence of a Portuguese identity and the European cultural history. Busleyden, Beatus Renanus, Budé and so many This said, utopian literature is rarely part of appeal to a humanist renewal. Placing Man at the centre of creation, Pico and others, formed a circle of humanists sharing mainstream literature, or the literary canon, Keywords: Utopia, Humanism, Pina Martins, his fellow humanists - highly qualified in the the same fundamental principles, debating the because it springs from a desire to change the Social Harmony, Identity. study of humanities - saw themselves as having same problems and accepting their differences status quo, the established social, political the moral obligation to promote the education of judgment. All of them were concerned with and cultural scheme that is responsible for the 1. Utopia; a literary genre in search of social of their fellowmen. Humanists’ natural milieu the welfare of the city, seen as human crea- choice and promotion of an accepted and es- harmony. The beginning was the cities, the centres of knowledge and tion, not a divine paradise. tablished cultural canon. Thomas More founded utopia as a literary power; therefore, it became natural for them It is within this circle that Thomas More wrote, Portuguese literature does not have many exam- genre in 1516, when he published his short ho- to mingle in the circles of power, as were the in 1516, mainly to his fellow friends, a small ples of successful and renowned utopias, though monymous book, written in Latin and intended great Italian cities of the time: Rome, Flor- book later entitled Utopia (1965; 1978; 2009) the considerable amount of published utopias for his peers, the Christian Humanists, both ence, Bologna, Venice, as well as other Eu- where, in a fictional form, the humanists’ ap- written in foreign languages and translated to as a jeu d’esprit and as political intervention. ropean political centres. The great lords and prehensions, beliefs and doubts concerning the Portuguese language being quite relevant. This option was in accordance with some of the nobles sought them as counsellors, ambassa- best way to organize a Christian republic were However, in the last quarter of the twentieth movement’s most eminent representatives, dors, teachers for their children. Moreover, presented. This was done wrapped in an ironic century, almost at the eve of the second mil- namely, Pico della Mirandola, Italian humanist the humanists, now looking from afar, cher- self-contradictory language, intended as an in- 278 279 CULTURE PROPORTION, dis-HARMONIES, IDENTITIES tellectual game, the counterpart of Erasmus’s the hand led him in to supper. I first said, pia, and its final appeal for further debate, already notes the need of contact as trigger of The Praise of Folly, written in 1508 at More’s nevertheless, that there would be anoth- Pina Martins proposes a new discussion, not evolution. Probably because Bacon’s text is con- house and published in 1511 (1913). It was also er chance to think about it these matters about the sixteenth century Island of Utopia, sidered incomplete (a debatable and debated a game of mirrors, where reality was reflected more deeply and to talk them over with but about the contemporary one, the coun- question), the vast majority of utopian writers in a distorted, inverted yet better image. Since him more fully. If only this were some try that the Portuguese Raphael knew and chose to ignore scientific data – human society, Thomas More’s Utopia is not the main focus of day possible! (1965: 245; 2009: 414-415) probably would have to had evolved in time. as any natural structure, is subject to evolution this text, though being an unavoidable work, Therefore, the character Pina Martins has for and decay (but then, the desire for perfection please refer to André Prevost’s and Pina Mar- 2. Utopia III, or a contemporary evolutionary interlocutor a descendent of the Portuguese has always been humankind’s most recurrent sin tins’ introductions to the cited editions, in my Utopia Raphael Hythlodaeus, named Miguel Mark Hyth- of hubris) — and closed their perfect societies to opinion, the best, most lucid and well informed Portuguese literature does not have many lodeu. [The choice of character’s names, both avoid “pollution”. analyses of More’s Utopia, and also of its relation examples of successful or renowned utopias, in Utopia and Utopia III, is definitely relevant The response to these closed “perfect” com- to Erasmus’ Folly and the Christian Humanism. though having many readers of utopias, judg- and should be notice by readers. Raphael is monwealths has been, naturally, dystopia since, More’s Utopia, being the “praise of wisdom”, ing for the number of published translations. the name of the Archangel that heals blind- apart from other obvious problems, literary should be read not as political program, but as a There are several reasons that may explain this ness, therefore More’s character is presented utopias seemed incapable of assuring the nec- literary text where More expresses the opinions phenomenon (not to be dealt in this text), one, as the healer of Christians’ blindness that pre- essary means for individual evolution, and this and the doubts debated by Christian humanists and probably the most self-evident, being the vents them from following the proper Christian has been the fundamental basis of occidental concerning the best government of a common- almost continuous strong exercise of religious way of living. Miguel (Michael) Mark is a more culture. The erasure of individual needs in prof- wealth, using as foundation Plato’s Republic and/or political censorship imposed in Portu- complex character (therefore the uses of two it of the common good is a price definitely too (1997: 971-1223; 2001). Therefore, in my opin- gal from the late sixteenth century to the last proper names) being simultaneously a fighter high to be paid, and occidental culture evolved ion, Utopia is, in a way, an open narrative avant quarter of the twentieth century.
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