The course focuses on the reading and interpretation of Francis Bacon's New Atlantis, one of the most famous works of political philosophy from the transition between the Renaissance and the early modern period. The course is divided into three parts: the first part will be an introduction to Bacon's work and the historical context in the form of lectures; the second part will take the form of a seminar and will involve a detailed and thorough reading of the text and its interpretation; the third part is a guided tour of the main exhibition at the J. A. Comenius Museum in Uherský Brod. The basis for the reading will be the revised Czech translation by Alois Bejblík (Prague: Mladá Fronta 1980), compared with the critical edition of the text (ed. Brian Vickers, Oxford-New York 1996). In our interpretation, we will focus on themes such as understanding New Atlantis as a political -philosophical text building on utopian thought or as a vision of social reform; on New Atlantis as the secularization of Christian salvation transformed into the idea of scientific and technological progress; and on the problem of environmentalist criticism of Bacon, specifically from the perspective of ecofeminism. The seminar will take place in a block format in October 2026 as a residential event, which requires participants to stay at the venue. The exact dates and location will be specified; tentatively, it is scheduled for October 12-13, 2026, at the Environmental Education Center of the Uherský Brod Youth Center in Maršov. https://www.ddmub.cz/sev-marsov/ Meals are on your own. (There is no public transportation to the village, and there are no shops or restaurants there.) I will contact those registered for the seminar with detailed instructions regarding the stay.
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