I finished reading New Atlantis written by Francis Bacon and published after his death in 1626. It is regarded as an early example of a utopian novel. In it, a ship of sailors, lost at sea, stumbles upon an island nation. The narrator, one of the sailors, introduces the reader to the land of Bensalem, as he himself learns about the history, customs, sciences, religion, government, and other aspects of the mysterious society.

Bensalem (essentially Hebrew for “son of peace”) embodies what seem to be essential elements of a good and enlightened society in Bacon’s vision. There is a strong emphasis on exploring and understanding the natural world; in other words, what modern readers would call the scientific method.

The book is an interesting chapter in the evolution of science (as well as political theory and government), and helps the reader understand the cultural shift Bacon was a part of producing in the early 17th century.

“I give thee leave to publish it for the good of other nations; for we here are in God’s bosom, a land unknown.”