ABSTRACT

More's motives are thus economic: they are motives suggested more by the evils of his own times, than by the reading of Plato. His scheme is altogether different from that of Plato. Plato's communism had touched only the two upper classes: More's communism touches every member of the State. l Plato's communism had been arranged in such a way as to set the two upper classes free from all material work and material cares: More's communism is so planned, that every man must put his hand to

the plough, and labour at husbandry. Plato's guardians were to share in common an annual rent in kind paid by the tiers etat: More's citizens share in common the whole of the products of their country. Plato left the third class with private ownership of all property, and the guardians with common ownership of nothing except their barracks and their annual rent: More leaves his citizens with no private ownership, and common ownership of everything.1 Of all these differences, the one which is cardinal is the difference in the attitude of the two thinkers to labour. Plato meant his communism - a communism consistent with private ownership of most things, and involving common ownership of very few things - to set his guardians free from labour: More meant his communism, which was real communism in all things, to set all men free for labour. In place of unemployed farmers tramping the English roads, he would have work for all: in place of the many drones who live in rich men's houses, he would have all men bees. In this way he hoped to shorten the hours oflabour, and to give all men a six hours' day.