The Capacity and Extent of the Human Understanding; Exemplified In the Extraordinary Case of Automathes; A Young Nobleman, Who was Accidentally left in his Infancy, upon a desolate Island, and continued Nineteen Years in that solitary State, separated from all Human Society. A Narrative Abounding with many surprizing Occurrences, both Useful and Entertaining to the Reader

1745 [Kirkby, John] (1705-54). The Capacity and Extent of the Human Understanding; Exemplified In the Extraordinary Case of Automathes; A Young Nobleman, Who was Accidentally left in his Infancy, upon a desolate Island, and continued Nineteen Years in that solitary State, separated from all Human Society. A Narrative Abounding with many surprizing Occurrences, both Useful and Entertaining to the Reader. London: Ptd. for R. Manby and H. Shute Cox. Rpt. in Popular Romances: Consisting of Imaginary Voyages and Travels. Containing Gulliver’s Travels, Journey to the World Under Ground, The Life and Adventure of Peter Wilkins, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, and The History of Automathes. To Which is Prefixed An Introductory Dissertation by Henry Weber, Esq. (Edinburgh, Scot.: Ptd. by James Ballantyne and Co., 1812), 583-638 [Probably the first anthology of utopias]; and in Modern British Utopias 1700-1850. Ed. Gregory Claeys. 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 1997), 2: 49-141. Originally pub. without the utopian material as The History of Autonous. Containing A Relation how that Young Nobleman was accidentally left alone, in his Infancy, upon a desolate Island; where he lived nineteen Years, remote from all Humane Society, 'till taken up by his Father. With an Account Of his Life, Reflections, and Improvements in Knowledge, during his Continuance in that Solitary State. The Whole, as taken from his own Mouth. London: Ptd. for J. Roberts, 1736.

Opens with a shipwreck and the discovery of Christian eutopia called Soteria with a detailed description of church organization. Separation of church and state. The church runs the educational system. Separation of men and women in church, so that women will not be visible. The point is made that strict discipline is needed even in a good society due to human backsliding. The eutopia is then followed by a Robinsonade.