Francis-Bacon-and-Essays.doc

Francis Bacon and the Essays

“Knowledge is power.”, said by Francis Bacon, is a well-known saying all over the world which encourages a large amount of people to pursue intelligence. As “a man of Renaissance”, Bacon showed his greatness in many different kinds of fields and left the precious spiritual wealth for posterity.
The whole life of Francis Bacon was a process of the search for knowledge and also the search for power. He was born in a noble family in 1561 whose father was Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Seal, and mother was Ann Cook, sister-in-law of Lord Burleigh, greatest of the queen’s statesmen. With this kind of family background and social relationship, Bacon could receive good education from childhood. At twelve he went to Trinity College, Cambridge to study theology，metaphysics，logic，mathematics，astronomy, Greek and Latin. After graduating he tried to seek political success in career. Bacon went to Paris with British Ambassador where he served as the Foreign Affairs Secretary for the British Embassy in France and learned statistics and diplomacy. Later in 1579, as the death of his father, Bacon went back in England and began to work for the British royal family and government. The occasion helped his political career to be on track was the succession of James I. Bacon’s advocacy of merging Scotland and England strongly praised by the king. From then on, he rose directly to a high position: he was appointed as the king’s adviser in 1604, the Attorney General in 1613, the Consultant of Privy Council in 1616, the Lord Keeper of the Seal in 1617, and finally Lord High Chancellor in 1618, the head of the legal system of England.
Besides an outstanding statesman, Bacon is also “the real primogenitor of English materialism and the whole modern experiential science” praised by Marx. Bacon represented the thoughts of the new aristocracy and was against the divine right of kings by advocating the reform and limitation to the royal power, and also supporting the Puritanism. On the contrary, he completely opposed revolution and medieval scholasticism. Inheriting the ancient materialism tradition, he acknowledged nature is material. Bacon was the first to realize the historical significance of science and its methodology. He tried to analyze and determine the general scientific method and demonstrate its application mode, giving new scientific movement power and direction of development. Bacon put forward the basic principle of materialistic empiricism and said that feeling is the beginning of knowledge. The importance of experiment is fully recognized by him who believed it was necessary to use experiment, in order to make up for the lack of sensory and deeply revealed the secret of nature. His materialism philosophy has a great influence on the evolution of the modern philosophy and his principal and best known of the philosophical works are：the Advancement of Learning，published in English in 1605；the Novum Organum， published in Latin in1620；and the De Augmentis，published in Latin in 1623.
In 1621, there was a major turning point in Bacon's life. He was accused of corruption by Congress and sentenced to a fine of forty thousand pounds and imprisoned in the tower of London. Although the fine and imprisonment were exempted at last, Bacon lost all standing and reputation because of the accident. Since then he turned all attentions from politics to theoretical writings. His works are characterized by the beautiful writing, refining language, and profound meaning, especially as for his masterpiece the Essays.
The Essays is the first writing English essay and plays an important role in the history of world literature. It has been translated into many languages as the enduring best seller. It was also named as "one of the 20 best books in human history” by American magazine Life in 1985. The book depicts a wide range of things in the world, showing the vicissitudes of life. It is said that many people are edified by the book's influence. As for today’s young readers, the Essays is like a wise old man speaking with fervor and assurance, because it contains the essence of the sage. The main content of the book is some short comments telling Bacon’s attitudes and ideas of different perspective of things. It involves politics, economy, religion, love, marriage, friendship, art, education, ethics and many other aspects. From Of Truth, Of Death, and Of Nature in Men, we can see he is a lover of philosophy；from Of Empire, Of Ambition, and Of Boldness，we can see he is a sophisticate of officialdom；from Of Love, Of Friendship, and Of Marriage and Single Life, we can see he is a man of taste; from Of Adversity, Of Happiness, and Of Deformity, we can see he is a powerhouse of self-improvement; from Of Discourse, and Of Simulation and Dissimulation, we can see he is a wit of worldliness. Having such a positive and fulfilling political career, Bacon seems no time to do any other things. But his immortal fame and well reputation will be in place by his philosophical and literary works, rather than his political activities. The Essays is concise and comprehensive, wise and attractive. It contains many of the wise remarks of an experienced person, which not only refers to the politics but also explores many life philosophies.
In the Essays, there are many famous sayings such as “Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtitle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.”and” Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience. ”Both of them and many other remarks in the book could reveal one aspect of the philosophy of life which can enlighten different groups of people in the society. Nevertheless, in my opinion young people are the largest beneficiaries, because their outlook on life, value and world is still in the formation stage and they need the correct direction to lead them. Nearly every significant entry point has been mentioned in the book which reminds and encourages us when we go through ups and downs in the life. We all need a lamp to illuminate the road and the Essays is just the lamp. It shows the great wisdom of the writer after experiencing so many hardships of life, and meanwhile it also shows the great wisdom of the world which is never plain sailing.
People can say Francis Bacon is a true modern philosopher. The whole set of his world outlook is secular rather than religious. He is a rationalist rather than a superstitious admirer, an empiricist rather than a sophist, a realist rather than a theorist. His profound knowledge, wonderful language together with science and technology resonate in a perfect way. Although Bacon is a loyal Englishman, his vision far exceeded his own borders. His scientific conjecture is intended as a starting point for the further discussion but not as the final conclusion. He is a sign of the times. The depth and breadth of his life is the eternal pursuit of us today.