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How did work and shared goods function in Thomas More’s Utopia?

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Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger, showing More in dark robes and a black hat, wearing a gold chain of office, seated against a green and yellow draped background. — Thomas More *Sir Thomas More*, oil on panel by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1527; in the Frick Collection, New York City.

In Thomas More’s Utopia, the organization of work and goods is designed to eliminate private property, poverty, and the vices of pride, envy, and greed.12

Work and Labor

In the Utopian state, all citizens work according to their abilities. The society is primarily agrarian, and every person is required to work on communal farms for at least two years. Because the population lives simply and shares the burden of labor, citizens are able to meet their needs with only a few hours of work each day, leaving ample time for leisure.12

Shared Goods and Property

The island operates on a system of communal ownership where land and houses are held in common. To prevent the development of possessive pride, citizens rotate their residences every 10 years. Money has been abolished, and the society functions through common storehouses from which individuals are free to take what they need. This structure ensures that there is no poverty or want, as consumption is based on individual need rather than wealth or status.21