Lewis categorizes science and magic—both early modern phenomena that emerged as part of humanity’s quest to subdue nature—as essentially the same kind of thing. Bacon refers to Francis Bacon, an English philosopher who developed the scientific method; Faustus refers to Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus, in which Faustus masters the arts of magic, ultimately at the price of his soul. While science won out over magic and has had many positive outcomes, Lewis notes here that this good, though real, constantly competes with the desire for mastery and power.