155MURTIfunction of subjective preference or
dependent upon social customs of lan-
guage. A moral realist may claim that
slavery has always been morally wrong
even if the majority of cultures believed
slavery was natural and benign. See also
ETHICS.
MORAL RELATIVISM. See
RELATIVISM.
MORE, HENRY (1614–1687). A
Cambridge Platonist who defended the-
ism on the grounds of the ontological
and design arguments, as well as the
immortality of the soul. More was an
early proponent of religious tolerance. His
poetry is deeply philosophical, addressing
the mind-body relationship. His works
include Psychodia Platonica (1642),
Philosophical Poems (1647), An Antidote
Against Atheism, Or an Appeal to the Nat-
ural Faculties of the Mind of Man, whether
there be not a God (1653), An Explanation
of the Grand Mystery of Godliness (1660),
and Divine Dialogues, Containing Sundry
Disquisitions and Instructions Concerning
the Attributes and Providence of God in
the World (2 vols. 1668).
MORE, THOMAS (1477/8–1535). A
highly gifted statesman (he served as
Under-Sheriff to the City of London,
was knighted, entered into service to
King Henry VIII, became sub-treasurer,
Speaker of the House of Commons,
Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster, and
became Lord Chancellor), More was
a Christian humanist who promoted
classical (pagan) study. His Utopia (1516)
is sometimes mistakenly read as a serious
proposal of a future, ideal society rather
than as an amusing, ironic, and experi-
mental work. More was executed by
the order of King Henry VIII for high
treason. In 1935, he was canonized and
his execution recognized as a martyrdom
for faith by Pope Pius XI.MUHAMMAD (c. 570–632 CE). Accord-
ing to Islamic tradition, Muhammad
(sometimes transliterated as Muhammed
or Mohammad) was the last (and the
“seal”) of God’s prophets sent to human-
ity. He began receiving revelations from
the angel Jibril (Gabriel) at the age of 40.
These revelations were compiled to form
the Qur’an, the holy scripture of Islam,
which Muslims believe to be God’s final
and complete revelation. By the time
Muhammad died in 632 CE, Islam was a
clearly distinct and emerging world reli-
gion, and much of the Arabian Peninsula
had converted. Muhammad is highly
respected by Muslims and his sayings
(hadiths) are second only to the Qur’an as
a source of authority. Upon uttering his
name, Muslims add the salutation “Peace
be upon him.”MURTI. In Hinduism, an image or icon
of a god.