Introduction

Utopia is a plea for a form of spiritual and community life, which was under threat from a new wave of materialism and elitism. Utopia also has a powerful global dimension. Its creation was influenced by accounts of the hitherto unknown civilizations Western Europeans were encountering in the course of their voyages of discovery, especially Amerigo Vespucci’s descriptions of the indigenous peoples of the New World. This world order was already changing by the time Utopia first appeared, as the nations of Europe began to assert their competitive advantage in seafaring, advanced weaponry and an aggressive sense of entitlement that was unparalleled in world history. The vast quantities of gold and silver which the conquistadores began shipping home transformed the European economy, creating the basis for the capital which would later fund the Industrial Revolution. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.