The Whale Under The Microscope: Technology And Objectivity In Two Renaissance Utopias

Abstract

This chapter addresses that there is such a ?lost background?; that New Atlantis was not an independent piece of writing in itself, but a part of a larger project destined to popularize and communicate the ?new? philosophy. It explores some of this lost background and argues that one of its possible sources might be found in Seneca?s writings, especially in the Epistles and Natural Questions . The chapter then shows that Bacon?s idea of a Brotherhood of learning, while featuring in early and late writings as well, underwent an interesting transformation during the last years of the author?s life. In one respect or another, most of Bacon?s works from the last five years of his life are reworking of earlier ideas and theories with a double purpose: reaching to a larger public and opening the project of Great Instauration towards the future. Keywords: Bacon?s Brotherhood; Epistles ; Great Instauration ; learning; lost background; Natural Questions ; New Atlantis; new philosophy; Seneca?s writings

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