CONSIDERATIONS ON THE SOURCE OF FRANCIS BACON'S THEORY

Abstract

The beginnings of modern philosophical thinking are to be found in the 17th century. Besides the French philosopher René Descartes, the English philosopher Francis Bacon brought a decisive contribution to the beginning of this new philosophical era. Francis Bacon's concern was his desire to bring a substantial contribution to the well-being of humankind. As part of the sources he drew from, mention should be made of the Ancient times, whose myths he reinterpreted and to which he gave new values. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Abstract: The beginnings of modern philosophical thinking are to be found in the 17th century. Besides the French philosopher René Descartes, the English philosopher Francis Bacon brought a decisive contribution to the beginning of this new philosophical era. Francis Bacon's concern was his desire to bring a substantial contribution to the well-being of humankind. As part of the sources he drew from, mention should be made of the Ancient times, whose myths he reinterpreted and to which he gave new values.

Keywords: Francis Bacon, sources, ancient, modern philosophy, writings, science, nature.

In our pursuit of the sources of Bacon's philosophy, we resorted to the author's biography; sometimes the writings of an author are rooted in the author's life. Nonetheless, it is absolutely true that, sometimes, it only purifies certain biographical aspects or it acts in a compensatory manner. Through his philosophy, Francis Bacon aims to discover the condition of scientific and philosophical knowledge, but he is not insensitive to the question of gaining knowledge about the human being. Bacon's philosophical ideas took shape very early, and this is why his biography cannot help us to better understand how his philosophical ideas were formed, but only to understand his work.

Francis Bacon was a spirit concerned with the fulfillment of great projects. He was educated at Trinity College, at Cambridge University, in the spirit of liberal arts, mainly applied to Aristotle's texts. Feeling, probably, the need to broaden his area of knowledge and to learn a more elaborate method, Francis Bacon leftTrinity College. During his travels through France, he became interested in the reform of science and philosophy, which became an essential aspect of his subsequent concerns1.

Francis Bacon was reserved before the innovating theories of his time and he was not impressed with the various philosophical reevaluations and denials of the subsequent theories. An excellent example is that of the Italian Giordano Bruno, whose Neoplatonism (as an anti-Aristotelian attitude) did not convince the English philosopher. However, it gave him the idea of a new philosophy and, thus, it made him part of the revisionist trend of his times.

From the very beginning, Bacons' ideas were concentrated on the human being seen in his spiritual dimension. In his work, Of the Proficience and Advancement of Learning, the philosopher wrote that a distinction should be made between the role of science and the role of theology. The first one is concerned with gaining knowledge about the aspects of the material world, the second one - about divine nature. In the author's opinion, the prejudices created by the intersection of the two domains only slowed down the process of evolution and innovation2.

At the same time, in the works he published, Francis Bacon had the courage to challenge the thinkers of the Ancient times. They were guilty of disseminating some mistaken ideas: Plato, Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas (Posescu, 1976, p. 243).

In the author's preface to the work De interpretatione naturae. Proemium, 1653, Francis Bacon attempts to redress the errors of the past. The source of his dissatisfaction, which he strongly underlined, lay in the injustice and the error which persisted in the evaluation of the part played by some people in the evolution of history.

Truth is the fundamental criterion used by the English philosopher. Francis Bacon advocated the enlightenment of knowledge and the fair evaluation of the acts and the people who lefttheir mark on history. He was a free and objective spirit, who believed himself to be sufficiently learned in knowledge, so as not to allow himself to be fooled by the imposture of the ancients, nor to be seduced by the enthusiasm of modern people.

The fundamental principle of Francis Bacon's philosophical research is truth. Such truth arises from the conscience of having a duty to the fellow men among whom he lived. The examination of the truth, postulated in Bacon's writings, is an attempt to break free from superstition and from whatever impeded the evolution of the human spirit and society. However, Francis Bacon did not desire to lay the foundations of a philosophical school. The axes of his philosophical thinking are indicated by three main categories: ''nature, science and man''3.

He was interested in the composition of the world he lived in, as well as in the meaning of what was happening in the Universe. The philosopher thoughtfully considered the primary causes of the surrounding world in the works Cogitationes de natura rerum and De principiis atqe originibus4. He believed in the existence of some immutable laws of nature, being the supporter of determinism. Francis Bacon saw philosophy as a science dominated by physics, the most important of all the sciences. In Bacon's opinion, phylosophy was a science incorporating laws which belonged to other sciences and which could be used by it.

His concern for science constitutes a significant part of Bacon's thinking. In his works he underlined the reproach made to his time for the precariousness of scientific knowledge. In his novel, New Atlantis, Bacon anticipated some of the inventions which would be made only centuries later. The English philosopher contributed to the development of modern scientific thinking by approaching science from a theoretical point of view. He considered objectivity as a prerequisite of truth. The utterance of such a truth in an era still under the domination of religion represented a great act of courage from the philosopher.

Francis Bacon was interested in the human being, in the examination of his essential, defining characteristic features. He formulated theories about the connection between thought and speech, as well as about the independence of morals from religion. Nevertheless, being aware of the authority of religion, he did not deny it.

Among the intellectual concerns of the young Francis Bacon, as he himself confessed in the Preface of the work De interpretatione naturae. Proemium, was the idea of offering the state distinct, renewing and fair things. Consequently, he devoted himself to the study of public matters. His ambition to interpret nature originated from the uncertain situation in which the Church was at that time.

Bacon's theoretical work can be summarized very well based on the author's own underlining of his thinking in the respective preface. He wrote that his intention was only to help the interpretation with the aim of finding renewing aspects "whose seeds will spring in the honest, valuable geniuses who will be born in the next centuries" (Posescu, 1976, p. 240). Bacon intended only to "lay the foundation" for the "constructions which will be built by others."5

Bacon reinterpreted ancient myths. From their reinterpretation, the personal theory of the English philosopher can be identified. Within these myths he interspersed his own philosophical ideas. He broached questions of morals and politics. He did not hesitate to draw the attention on the errors existing in the science of the ancients. The remaining difficulty is to mark the limit between Bacon's original ideas and those truly belonging to the ancients. Bacon intended to bring back to life the events of the most Ancient times (the preface to The Wisdom of the Ancients - 1619). He underlined the wisdom of the ancients from a period preceding the time when Greek philosphy flourished.

Conclusion

Francis Bacon can be considered one of the founders of modern philosophy and science. His work had both negative and positive echoes. The religious conservatives considered him an enemy, whereas others saw him as a spirit who brought substantial renewal to the intelectual inheritance of modernity.

Footnote

1 A. Posescu (ed.), Francis Bacon, The Wisdom of the Ancients, Ed. Stiintifica si Enciclopedica Publishing House, Bucharest, 1976, p. 253.

2 J. Martin, Francis Bacon, the state and the reform of antural philosophy, Cambridge University Press, 1992, p. 98.

3 A. Posescu, op.cit, p. 20

4 G.W. Kitchin, (ed.), Francis Bacon, Of the Advancement of Learning, J.M. Dent & Sons Publishing House, London, 1905, p. 87-88.

5 A. Posescu, (ed.), op.cit, p. 240.

References

REFERENCES

Bacon, Sir Francis, (1986), The Wisdom of the Ancients [1619], Oxford University Press.

Kitchin, G.W., (ed.), (1905), Francis Bacon, Of the Advancement of Learning, J.M. Dent & Sons Publishing House, London.

Martin, J., (1992), Francis Bacon, the State and the Reform of Natural Philosophy, Cambridge University Press.

Posescu, A., (ed.) (1976), Francis Bacon, The Wisdom of the Ancients, Bucharest, The Scientific and Encyclopedic Publishing House.