Loyalty vs Conscience: Thomas More
Thomas More [1478-1535] Loyalty to one’s nation is a great virtue especially in times of political turbulence. But what happens when your conscience rebels against your loyalty? Let us look at that problem through the experience of a person who was a brilliant humanist and Lord Chancellor of England. This man whose political stature was just below the royalty had to choose between loyalty to his King and the voice of his conscience. This was a long time ago, when conscience was priced high – 16 th century. Henry VIII was the king of England. Loyalty to the country was not merely expected; it was a rule. Henry had transformed the British monarchy into an absolute power. When Henry broke from the authority of the Church to secure his divorce and declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England, it was not just a political act; it was a demand for personal allegiance. Every subject of importance was required to affirm this new order. In Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy,...
