Why was sir thomas more called a man for all seasons?

Answer 1

This was the verdict that Erasmus passed on Thomas More because of the conflicting aspects of his character and his life -first a scholar of the new ideas then a cruel persecutor of those who promoted them.

Richard Marius (1933-1999) an academic at Harvard University wrote an exhaustive book about Thomas More 520 pages long! On page 520 he makes this remark about him:

"Erasmus a long time ago called him a man for all seasons, and so he has been, and so he will remain."

The phrase would seem to be used for an adaptable character which contains inconsistencies and elements of self contradiction. Marius goes on to illustrate this with regard to More:

".... in him the good and the bad were always at war. Calculation duelled with spontaneity, humility and pride, love with hate. These conflicts went tumultuously on almost to the very end beneath the calm exterior that he kept toward the world, and an honest biographer cannot truly say that More's virtues were stronger than his vices or that his vices were insignificant, or that his goodness as he himself might have defined it was always admirable."

Marius concludes:

..... it may be that only those who struggle without victory in such lifelong conflicts within themselves are worthy to be called saints

Answer 2

Sir thomas More was known to be a man for all seasons because he is a man that stays true to his morals which is part of who he is. a man like this is a man for any situation (of any season)