The Life Moral Stance and Integrity of St Thomas More

The Life, Moral Stance of St. Thomas More

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St. Thomas More was a highly regarded statesman who was respected by both Church authorities and by Renaissance humanists for his remarkable character and qualities as a man. He was an orator, rhetorician, highly successful lawyer, philosopher and (ultimately) political and religious martyr who died to defend both his religious beliefs and the rule of law in government. One of the most remarkable things about St. Thomas More was the degree to which (even during his own time) he was considered a man of virtue. Countless articles, books and movies (including the highly acclaimed A Man for All Seasons) have made clear this aspect of his nature. The following will examine his life, focusing on his moral stance against the king and the integrity he demonstrated in the process. Specifically, the virtues of justice, integrity and prudence (as demonstrated by St. Thomas More) will all be discussed.

St. Thomas More was a martyr to his faith and is considered the patron saint of statesmen and politicians. More was born in 1478 in London England. After a thorough education in the classics and in religion, he was sent to Oxford to study law.1 After leaving Oxford without graduating, More began a distinguished legal career that ultimately led to Parliament. After the death of his first wife in childbirth, More quickly married Alice Harpur Middleton (an older widow) to serve as a mother for his four young children. He also raised two other children who were not his own. Widely recognized as an extremely learned man, More was friends with many scholars and scholarly bishops. In 1516, he wrote Utopia, for which he became famous for criticizing the social structure of England.

During this time, More attracted the attention and sometimes dangerous friendship of Henry VIII, although in the film A Man for All Seasons this friendship was made seem closer that it probably was in reality. For instance, there is a scene early in the film in which Henry and More are sitting outside More's house with More carefully ignoring the King's rudeness with regard to the fruit provided to him.2 In the movie, the relationship between More and the King resembles the one that existed between Thomas Beckett and Henry II, but this was most likely not the case. However the king appointed More to a number of important posts in his government. In 1529 he made him Lord Chancellor of England. However, by 1532 Morehead resigned this position because of Henry VIII's opinions regarding the supremacy of the Pope and marriage within the Church, opinions which were contrary both to those of the Church and to More himself.3 The remainder of More's life was taken up in his defense of the church's position. In 1534 More and St. John Fisher was imprisoned in the power of England following their refusal to pledge their allegiance to Henry VIII as the true Head of the Church of England. Some 15 months later, Fisher was executed. A few days later, More himself was placed on trial. He was quickly and rather unjustly convicted of treason. Yet More stood by his decision and adhere to his own conscience. Even to his death, More practice the virtues of justice and integrity that were so lacking in others around him. Yet as he faced his execution on July 6, 1535, More informed the crowd that he was still "the King's good servant-but God's first”.

When looking at the influences upon St. Thomas More that may have led to his thinking during his confrontation with the king, it seems clear that he greatly admired many of the leading thinkers in the Church, but also respected the writings of classical thinkers, such as Aristotle, Plato, Ovid and (particularly) Cicero. All of these influences helped to mold the political vision and character of St. Thomas More, even though many were pagan.4

The Virtue of Justice

Because of the incident for which he is most famous, it is particularly relevant to discuss the legal influences upon More. On the intellectual foundation mentioned above was build a thorough understanding of both the specifically English and generally medieval common law traditions and political customs. From his study of the law, More came to consider the purpose and goal of the statesman to be one in which he resists any political influences, social upheaval or other pressures so as to achieve some degree of justice in his dealings and decisions. This conception of justice was a central one in his thinking.

In Sir Thomas More, we see a man who combined a heartfelt devotion to the Church,