Entry #9: New Atlantis
“When the king had forbidden to all his people navigation into any part that was not under his crown, he made nevertheless this ordinance; That every twelve years there should be set forth out of his kingdom two ships, appointed to several voyages.”
Bacon’s utopia mirrors Thomas More’s in that living only somewhat free and easy. Citizens of Bensalem are confined to Bensalem, allowed to venture outside its borders only on annual voyages -- if they are chosen for the two voyages, that is. The purpose of these journeys is admirable, as the king utilizes them to expand Bensalem’s intellectual purview and update his subjects on the goings-on of the world. Yet they are still restrictive, as most citizens of the island will never see the outside world for themselves. They will only read books, use instruments, or look over patterns; they will expect the full picture of the world, but they will hardly receive it.
I found this paradoxical in light of the governor’s story, since he remarked upon how well-traveled and worldly the civilizations of old were, and how that contributed to their prosperity. Wouldn’t Bensalem imitate that model? Why would he bring it up, otherwise?
For utopias, Bensalem and Thomas More’s locale are quite restrictive.
