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Description
Fiction. Short Stories. HTML: The New Atlantis is Sir Francis Bacon's creation of an ideal land where its citizens uphold the common qualities of "generosity and enlightenment, dignity and splendor, piety and public spirit." This short 1627 utopian novel depicts the land of Bensalem, discovered by a European ship after becoming lost somewhere to the west of Peru. One of the crew narrates their look at the island's customs and institutions, especially their impressive culture of science and research..
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LibraryThing member baswood
Published in 1627 a year after Bacon's death, this slight book tells a story of a lost continent (island) which lay in uncharted waters in the South Pacific. It was discovered by a sailing ship that had been blown off course. The crew had eaten all their provisions and were preparing themselves for
One suspects that the reason for the sudden ending was that the book had served it's purpose. Bacon has been called the father of empiricism and spent much of his life attempting to codify scientific and mechanical discoveries, which in his opinion would help to show a way forward. The final section of the book takes place in the House of Salomon and the ship's representative is told that:
"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of courses and secret motions of things and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire to the effecting of all things possible
I get the feeling from this book that Bacon is describing his idea of Utopia, but he is also careful to ensure that what he describes will cause little offence to 17th century Tudor England. Christianity is a vital aspect of the society described, but it is a society that tolerates other religions. There is no attempt to shock us with progressive social views, as the New Atlantian's value chastity and honesty and a well ordered society, however there is no King or aristocracy in evidence which might not have been quite so welcome at the Tudor English court.
My first impressions from the story were that Bacon was attempting to describe his idea of heaven. When the crew sight the island they are dying from starvation and it may all be an hallucination. The crews representative says that "We are but between death and life, for we are both beyond the old world and the new," subsequently there is not too much to reinforce this idea, but it does demonstrate what a puzzling little book this is. I would go along with the idea that Bacon's main purpose was to use it as a propaganda vehicle to arouse interest in his ideas for collecting together all scientific and mechanical knowledge.
The book is an early example of an Utopia and also falls under the genre of proto-science fiction and so would be of interest for readers in these fields, It may also be of interest for its descriptions of future mechanical and scientific discoveries that were envisaged by a man that was possibly in advance of his times. An easy and quick read for those that might be interested; 3 stars
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death when they discovered land. The inhabitants of the land welcomed the crew only when it was established that they were Christians and when they finally got ashore they found a civilization that was in many respects more advanced than their own. Following a brief description of the town and the lodging house that had been set aside for "strangers" the major part of the book tells about meetings with various officials who tell the crews representative, of the glories of The New Atlantis. The book ends suddenly (we know it was unfinished) following a description of the knowledge that had been gained by the New Atlantian's and how they had acquired it. One suspects that the reason for the sudden ending was that the book had served it's purpose. Bacon has been called the father of empiricism and spent much of his life attempting to codify scientific and mechanical discoveries, which in his opinion would help to show a way forward. The final section of the book takes place in the House of Salomon and the ship's representative is told that:
"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of courses and secret motions of things and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire to the effecting of all things possible
I get the feeling from this book that Bacon is describing his idea of Utopia, but he is also careful to ensure that what he describes will cause little offence to 17th century Tudor England. Christianity is a vital aspect of the society described, but it is a society that tolerates other religions. There is no attempt to shock us with progressive social views, as the New Atlantian's value chastity and honesty and a well ordered society, however there is no King or aristocracy in evidence which might not have been quite so welcome at the Tudor English court.
My first impressions from the story were that Bacon was attempting to describe his idea of heaven. When the crew sight the island they are dying from starvation and it may all be an hallucination. The crews representative says that "We are but between death and life, for we are both beyond the old world and the new," subsequently there is not too much to reinforce this idea, but it does demonstrate what a puzzling little book this is. I would go along with the idea that Bacon's main purpose was to use it as a propaganda vehicle to arouse interest in his ideas for collecting together all scientific and mechanical knowledge.
The book is an early example of an Utopia and also falls under the genre of proto-science fiction and so would be of interest for readers in these fields, It may also be of interest for its descriptions of future mechanical and scientific discoveries that were envisaged by a man that was possibly in advance of his times. An easy and quick read for those that might be interested; 3 stars
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LibraryThing member DanieXJ
It was a bit hard to get into, though the footnotes helped whole lot in the understanding of the text. It was also a bit of a slow beginning. But once I got into the flow of Bacon's writing and once he got past the technical stuff that set the stage for the rest of the piece it was smooth
The most humorous part (though I doubt it was supposed to be) was when he explained why the natives of great Atlantis (America, though it sounded like only the top half of North America, the USA and Canada) went from those who populated Tall Ships to those who go around naked and are savages with no art or culture. Which of course, is why it's funny, because not all the tribes were naked and the fact that the Native North Americans had just as much art, culture etc, as any European or New Atlantean.
Anyway, maybe I'm totally reading it wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but he was basically explaining what the United States of America has always been trying to be (and had and has differing levels of success at) a place where if you come to our shores as strangers you can stay or you can stay for a bit and use our hospitality, but if you stay forever you become an American. You can be African-American, Chinese American, Irish-American, but if you choose to stay you become an American. (Plus, there's the whole prude thing, which totally sounds like us crazy US/Americans a bit too).
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sailing.The most humorous part (though I doubt it was supposed to be) was when he explained why the natives of great Atlantis (America, though it sounded like only the top half of North America, the USA and Canada) went from those who populated Tall Ships to those who go around naked and are savages with no art or culture. Which of course, is why it's funny, because not all the tribes were naked and the fact that the Native North Americans had just as much art, culture etc, as any European or New Atlantean.
Anyway, maybe I'm totally reading it wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but he was basically explaining what the United States of America has always been trying to be (and had and has differing levels of success at) a place where if you come to our shores as strangers you can stay or you can stay for a bit and use our hospitality, but if you stay forever you become an American. You can be African-American, Chinese American, Irish-American, but if you choose to stay you become an American. (Plus, there's the whole prude thing, which totally sounds like us crazy US/Americans a bit too).
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LibraryThing member quondame
In the south seas our narrator comes to an nation unknown to Europe but fully informed about the past and present of all the worlds lands. This is a Christian nation by miraculous delivery of the gospels 20yrs after the Crucifixion which generously allows Jews and a few others to live there. Mostly
Women however are kept firmly in the background, standing at the edges of a mans feast or sequestered in a viewing room, listed as servants and attendants of scholars, but hardly elsewhere. "Every sperm is sacred" played in my head during the Feast of the Family report. I'm inclined to think Francis Bacon a hypocritical prig.
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tell rather than show, the narrator 'repeats' reports about the chastity of the people and the institutionalized pursuit knowledge and practical invention. Women however are kept firmly in the background, standing at the edges of a mans feast or sequestered in a viewing room, listed as servants and attendants of scholars, but hardly elsewhere. "Every sperm is sacred" played in my head during the Feast of the Family report. I'm inclined to think Francis Bacon a hypocritical prig.
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LibraryThing member mykl-s
A utopian society, designed by a philosopher.
Subjects
Original publication date
1624 (Latin)
1627 (English)