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Primary sourceBookc. 1623, published 1627

The New Atlantis

Francis Bacon · c. 1623, published 1627

Bacon's utopian fable describing an ideal land with a vision for scientific research institutions, published after his death.

Bacon wrote this utopian fable near the end of his life, expressing his vision for science and society.

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Francis Bacon, The New Atlantis, written c. 1623, published 1627. Audio: modern LibriVox volunteer reading by Bill Boerst, not Bacon's own voice.

About this source

What it is

This is a written work by Francis Bacon, believed to have been written around 1623 and published in 1627, the year after his death, by his literary executor Dr. Rowley. The available audio version is a modern volunteer reading made for LibriVox, read by Bill Boerst — it is not Bacon's own voice.

Why it matters

The New Atlantis imagines an ideal society called Bensalem, with kind and knowledgeable people and a great college, 'Solomon's House', dedicated to scientific study. It reflects Bacon's hopes as a statesman for an enlightened society and his vision as a scientist for organised research, which later readers have connected to the idea of modern research universities.

Why it matters (continued)

Islands Bacon may have visited could have shaped his imagined setting.

Look closer

  • What kind of society does Bacon imagine, and what values does he give its people?
  • How does 'Solomon's House' compare to institutions for scientific research today?
  • Why might Bacon have written this after his political career had ended?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francis Bacon on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of New Atlantis, printed in old-style typeface: 'NEVV ATLANTIS. A Vvorke vnfinished. Vvritten by the Right Honourable, Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban.' Below the text is a small ornate woodcut frame with a figure and a winged creature.Book

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New Atlantis

Francis Bacon · 1627

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