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There are usually two schools of thought in criticizing Utopia. The first is that Thomas More himself is in favor of the ideal state that the book outlines. The second is that he is against it. For the most part, people either believe the first is true, or the second. This is understandable as it is always more interesting to go with an extreme opinion than to be in the middle. However, this work should not be taken as the author’s socialist manifesto. As well it is not an anti-socialist satire. Utopia is an intellectual piece that is intended to show the paradoxical nature of both sides of the socialism debate. It juxtaposes an absurd view of a “perfect” society with a harsh view of British society. It was intended for an academic audience, full of irony, and unparalleled to the author’s own actions in the real world. Any author who wanted to reach a specific audience would use the language of that audience. In the case of writing that deals with such revolutionary ideas as socialism, the author would want the work to be read by the general public, as these are that people from whom the ideas could ever really take shape. Indeed, Marx’s Communist Manifesto, and Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government are both w