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One of the famous figures in the
renaissance era, an English Renaissance man, is Francis Bacon (1561–1626). Bacon is famous for his writings on
empiricism, the scientific method, and the direction that modern thought has
taken.
It was only towards the end of 16th century that Bacon’s career in
public service started. He served in
different offices under the Queen Elizabeth I and achieved prominence as the
Queen’s legal adviser. He did have
an early success but he had many political problems like being accused of
corruption and ended up in disgrace. However,
he remained resilient, and his career picked up during the rule of King James
I.
Bacon was a statesman who advocated for practical knowledge and the use
of reason in governance. Owing to
his keen interest in education improvement, he developed his viewpoint
regarding wholesale scientific revolution. He
made his case in “The Advancement of Learning” (1605) when he insisted on a
systematic and empirical path to learning. Such
views were supported by bacon, who argued that knowledge should come from
observation, experimentation and systematic inquiry as part of setting up what
is termed today as “the method in science”.
The most important legacy of Bacon’s
philosophical theories on science lies in his landmark treatise, “Novum
Organum” (1620). He articulated his
inductive method here, insisting on collecting and systematically analyzing
data that leads one to postulate common rules or principles. He insisted on abandoning such
assumptions, and using open investigation of nature. His popular saying “to command nature you have to obey it,”
highlighted the importance of exploring the nature in the most humble and
patient manner.
It should be noted that Bacon was famous not only on account of his
scientific work but also as an author of philosophical essays. These essays were published in different
versions over the years and they reveal Bacon’s command of language and
capacity to make abstract concepts easy to understand through short statements. For instance, his famous essays encompass
“Of Studies”, “Of Truth”, and “Of Ambition”.
However, Bacon’s life was filled with controversies in spite of his
intellectual achievements. In 1621
he was indicted for taking bribes while holding publicly and spent some time in
jail. His political rights were
later granted to him, and he was freed but his good name was never retrieved.
His legacy lasted up to his death in 1626. The
modern science is indebted to him for stressing much on observing the
phenomenon empirically through a scientific approach while most of his works
are still read with regard to what he observed regarding the human nature and
society. Bacon’s contributions to
the philosophy of science and understanding of the natural world have cemented
him as fundamental in the intellectual history of early modernity.
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