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Utopian idealism

Thomas More was a contemporary of Henry VIII. He was against the reformation that Martin Luther was instigating out in Germany. When Henry VIII wanted to break away from the Catholic church to set up his own shop (The Church of England) to grant him sanction to marry Ann Boleyn, More objected. Henry VIII threw More in prison. When that failed to change More's mind, he was put to death.

One of his contributions was the book called Utopia where like Plato he investigated a perfect world. More did address a lot of interesting topics in his book. One such excerpt on how marriages are conducted in Utopia (by the way fornication was severely punished in Utopia)

In choosing their wives they use a method that would appear to us very absurd and ridiculous, but it is constantly observed among them, and is accounted perfectly consistent with wisdom. Before marriage some grave matron presents the bride naked, whether she is a virgin or a widow, to the bridegroom; and after that some grave man presents the bridegroom naked to the bride. We indeed both laughed at this, and condemned it as very indecent. But they, on the other hand, wondered at the folly of the men of all other nations, who, if they are but to buy a horse of a small value, are so cautious that they will see every part of him, and take off both his saddle and all his other tackle, that there may be no secret ulcer hid under any of them; and that yet in the choice of a wife, on which depends the happiness or unhappiness of the rest of his life, a man should venture upon trust, and only see about a hand's-breadth of the face, all the rest of the body being covered, under which there may lie hid what may be contagious as well as loathsome. All men are not so wise as to choose a woman only for her good qualities; and even wise men consider the body as that which adds not a little to the mind: and it is certain there may be some such deformity covered with the clothes as may totally alienate a man from his wife when it is too late to part from her. If such a thing is discovered after marriage, a man has no remedy but patience. They therefore think it is reasonable that there should be good provision made against such mischievous frauds

Read the rest of Utopia