McWilliams, Saving Place
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To this point, without too much prodding, Hythloday’s argument collapses in on
itself. But there is one large rabbit still hiding in his bag of tricks, and that is his
experience in Utopia – the manifestation of his cosmopolitan vision – itself. Without
much trouble, “More” could effectively challenge Hythloday’s case that far (although he
does so only sporadically). But the Englishman has no grounds on which to dispute the
claim that “if you’d seen Utopia, you’d know better.” This explains why, for the entire
second half of the book, “More” is silent. As long as Hythloday is talking about the
Utopians, no one can challenge him or offer competing interpretations. In crucial ways,
his position as an unattached international traveler puts him in the place of a god; he has
access—or, at least, can claim to have access—to special, inaccessible knowledge. He
rises to a nearly unassailable power position. He cannot be disputed. He cannot be
reasoned with. He can only be listened to.
The question is, though: Can Hythloday’s forthcoming account of Utopia be
trusted? It’s apparent, from the ease with which he has manipulated Plato to support his
own ideology, that Hythloday has an agenda, and he is willing—despite his
proclamations about how “Christ forbade dissimulation”—to make the “evidence” fit the
argument.
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This is an issue that “More” doesn’t raise, although he has every reason to
believe that Hythloday should not be believed, at least not entirely. He is still waiting,
patiently, for the story of Utopia – and waits for it despite the fact that he should probably
question its authenticity, or the inherent superiority of its ways.
Hythloday’s Account of Utopia
Hythloday’s description of Utopia is extended. But in his elaborate account, one
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More, 84. Moreover, given what we already know about Hythloday’s feelings regarding “Roman
philosophy,” it’s hard to believe that he cares much for Christ’s teachings.
Convention