New Atlantis [Kindle Edition]

Francis Bacon (Author)

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 81 KB
• Publisher: Public Domain Books (December 1, 2000)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000JQU7NU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,645 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #39 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Literary Criticism & Theory

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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two classic early utopias from the Age of Reason, October 22, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The New Atlantis and The City of the Sun: Two Classic Utopias (Paperback)

It had been nearly a century since Thomas More's "Utopia" had been published, and these two classic Age of Reason utopias spurred a revitalized interest in the genre that remains unabaited to this day. However, in proposing science as the ultimate source of human salvation, Francis Bacon and Tomasso Campnaella were taking an approach quite different from More in positing his utopia.

"The New Atlantis" is the philosophical and intellectual utopia envisioned by Francis Bacon. Published in 1627, the year after the author's death by his literary executor, speculation is that Bacon wrote his story in 1623 or 1624, which would be after his fall from political power. Unlike many of his other major works, Bacon wrote "The New Atlantis" in English and then had it translated into Latin, an indication that he intended it for a wider, English-speaking audience. Bacon focuses on the duty of the state toward science, and his projections for state-sponsored research anticipate many advances in medicine and surgery, meteorology, and machinery. Although "The New Atlantis" is only a part of his plan for an ideal commonwealth, this work does represent Bacon's ideological beliefs. The inhabitants of Bensalem represent the ideal qualities of Bacon the statesman: generosity and enlightenment, dignity and splendor, piety and public spirit.

Bacon breaks from Plato, Aristotle and other ancient writers by insisting that humans do not need to aspire to fewer desires because the extraordinary advances of science would make it possible to appease bodily desires by providing material things that would satisfy human greed. For Bacon there is no reason to waste time and energy trying to get human beings to rise to a higher moral state. In his conception of Solomon's House we see the what Bacon the scientist envisioned for the future of human knowledge in an unfettered intellectual setting. It is easy to see the modern research university is the utility of Bacon's great college. Ultimately, Bacon clearly sees the advances of science as the best way of increasing humanity's control over nature and providing for the comfort and convenience of all people, and England's Royal Society and similar organizations dedicated to scientific progress are generally regarded as embodying Bacon's utopian vision.

Tomasso Campanella was a Calabrian monk who published "The City of the Sun" in 1623, a utopian vision that certain reflects the idealism and revolutionary trends of thought in the Age of Reason. Campanella was a student of logic and physics who formulated the first scientifically based socialistic system, which makes "The City of the Sun" important because it serves as the model for all subsequent ideal communities. The earliest version was written in Italian in 1602, and was later revised in an abbreviated Latin version two decades later. It is this Latin version, which is better known, that is provided here, although the Italian work was published posthumously in 1637.

The tale here is told by a sea captain who has visited an island called Taprobane (quite possibly Sumatra). He tells of finding a land where there is community property, labor is divided equitably among the people, and there is no need for money. In "The City of the Sun" all of the inhabitants work towards the common good, entrusting their government to the wisest and ablest among them, and prizing equality and self-sacrifice for the sake of the community above all. The system is so efficient that all work is completed in a four-hour work day. The influences of not only Sir Thomas More but Plato is clearly seen in this utopian vision, especially in the notion of scientifically controlling breeding.

However, like More, Campanella discourses on the topics of religion, justice, and war. The religion of the City of the Sun is clearly Christianity, but with sun figures representing God in the temples and the clergy being pure in their conduct (remember, Campanella lived the monastic life). The head of the government is called Hoh, and his chief ministers are Pon (Power), Sin (Wisdom), and Mor (Love). Clearly the Hoh (which means metaphysics) is fashioned after Plato's philosopher-king, since he has to know all of the sciences, as well as metaphysics, theology, and the history of all kingdoms and their governments. Science is what drives this utopia (which comes from Telesius rather than Plato), which develops power-propelled ships and flying machines, and which will create the ideal world Campanella envisions.

The obvious comparison is between the utopias of Campanella and Bacon, but the former goes much farther is developing his seven-sided city than the latter, where Bacon is concerned primarily with emphasizing the duty of the state to foster scientific research. However, both utopias underscore the idea that science will solve the evils of this world. These early utopias do not usually receive as much consideration as the dystopian novels of the 20th century, but the works of Campanella and these others certainly represent the utopian ideal in its purest form.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars R. H. Esquire edition - Read with Caution, November 28, 2002

By 

psilar (Edmonton) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Atlantis Continued (Hardcover)

I haven't read the Esquire edition, but I nevertheless would strongly suggest the regular edition. It might be interesting what someone else added to Bacon's work after the fact, but you should really read the original Bacon first.

As for the real New Atlantis, it is a great read, but it will only really make sense in combination with the New Organon. In NO, Bacon discusses his new scientific method and how it is to be carried out; in NA, he provides an idealistic society who is carrying out that method.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad I read it, more or less, April 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: New Atlantis (Paperback)

Hmm, this is interesting. Despite the convoluted prose I was able to plow through this in a couple days (it's less than 50 pages long). The cover and all looks cheap on this edition but it's the content that counts, and the content is interesting. NEW ATLANTIS posits an alternate history for America and is intended to supply an example of a Utopian, scientifically overachieving society. It's an interesting look at the philosophy, symbolically expressed, of a man considered a great "rational" philosopher. Not bad.