The New Atlantis and The City of the Sun: Two Classic Utopias

By Francis Bacon and Tomasso Campanella

Two authors from The Age of Reason and Enlightenment, in keeping with the spirit of their times, envisioned their own philosophical and intellectual utopias. Tomasso Campanella, a Calabrian monk, published The City of the Sun in 1623, and Francis Bacon's The New Atlantis appeared in 1627. Campanella was a student of logic and physics who formulated the first scientifically based socialistic system — one that furnished a model for subsequent ideal communities. Bacon focused on politics and philosophy, emphasizing the duty of the state toward science. Despite the authors' differences in setting and treatment, each of these 17th-century classics mirrors the period's prevailing thought, reflecting the idealism of an age and its revolutionary trends in philosophy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Mar 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9780486112985

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher, scientist, and statesman. Recognized for his intelligence from a young age, Bacon would develop the empirical basis for modern scientific inquiry—known today as the scientific method—by promoting skepticism and observational experimentation as essential for the discovery of truth and the growth of human knowledge. A central figure of the scientific revolution and the Renaissance, Bacon was recognized as Lord Verulam and Viscount St. Alban during his lifetime and was honored by both Queen Elizabeth I and King James VI for his contributions to society. Bacon was also an accomplished statesman, responsible for drafting early legal documents and charters for the British colonization of the Americas. His career was not without controversy, however, as accusations of bribery tarnished his reputation and barred him from government service toward the end of his life and career. Today, he is remembered as one of the founders of modern science whose theories and methods continue to form the basis of all scientific experimentation and inquiry.