Question

in this excerpt from utopia, sir thomas more claims that the best society is one in which all people work at useful occupations. in a well - constructed paragraph, evaluate the validity of the claim based on the strategy you have learned. cite specific details from the text to support your ideas. you will find that the number of those by whose labours mankind is supplied is much less than you perhaps imagined; then consider how few of those that work are employed in labours that are of real service, for we, who measure all things by money, give rise to many trades that are both vain and superfluous, and serve only to support riot and luxury: for if those who work were employed only in such things as the conveniences of life require, there would be such an abundance of them that the prices of them would so sink that tradesmen could not be maintained by their gains; if all those who labour about useless things were set to more profitable employments, and if all they that languish out their lives in sloth and idleness (every one of whom consumes as much as any two of the men that are at work) were forced to labour, you may easily imagine that a small proportion of time would serve for doing all that is either necessary, profitable, or pleasant to mankind, especially while pleasure is kept within its due bounds.

Explanation:

Sir Thomas More argues that society has many unproductive or vain - luxury - supporting trades due to a money - centric view. If everyone worked in useful occupations, there would be an abundance of necessary goods and less waste. However, what is considered 'useful' can be subjective. Also, human desires for luxury and variety contribute to a diverse economy. In the text, he points out the inefficiency of having many idle people and those in non - essential trades.

Answer:

The claim has some validity as focusing on useful occupations could lead to a more efficient allocation of resources and meet basic needs better. But it also ignores the complexity of human desires and the subjective nature of what is 'useful'.