Select Philosophical Works
Francis Bacon, Rose-Mary Sargent
Language: English
Pages: 317
ISBN: 2:00259976
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Author note: Rose-Mary Sargent (Editor)
Publish Year note: First published in 1999
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The most comprehensive collection available in paperback of Bacon's philosophical and scientific writings, this volume offers Bacon's major works in their entirety, or in substantive selections, revised from the classic 19th century editions of Spedding, Ellis, and Heath. Selections from some of Bacon's natural histories round out this edition by showing the types of compilations that he believed would most contribute to the third part of his Great Instauration.
Each work has a separate brief introduction indicating the major themes developed. In her general Introduction, Sargent gives a biographical sketch of Bacon's early life, education, and legal career, discusses the major components of his philosophical project, and traces his influence on subsequent natural philosophy. In addition, she looks at the primarily negative evaluations of Bacon's methodological writings by philosophers of science in the first half of the twentieth century, the reassessments of his works that took place as the influence of logical empiricism declined, and the current revival of interest in Bacon that coincides with the focus on experimental practice today.
A bibliography and index complete the text.
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should be mentioned withal whether he took it from report, oral or written (as most of Pliny’s statements are), or rather affirmed it of his own knowledge; also whether it was a thing which happened in his own time or earlier; and again whether it was a thing of which, if it really happened, there must needs have been many witnesses; and finally whether the author was a vain speaking and light person, or sober and severe; and the like points, which bear upon the weight of the evidence. Lastly,
being always full of company, but well kept and without disorder, after some pause there comes in from the lower end of the room a Taratan (which is as much as a herald) and on either side of him two young lads, whereof one carries a scroll of their shining yellow parchment, and the other a cluster of grapes of gold, with a long foot or stalk. The herald and children are clothed with mantles of sea-water green satin, but the herald’s mantle is streamed with gold and has a train. Then the herald
9:111–21. McMullin, Ernan (1968). “Empiricism and the Scientific Revolution.” In Art, Science, and History in the Renaissance. Charles S. Singleton, ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, pp. 331–69. ———(1985). “Openness and Secrecy in Science: Some Notes on Early History.” Science, Technology and Human Values 10:14–23. ———(1990). “Conceptions of Science in the Scientific Revolution.” In Reappraisals of the Scientific Revolution. David C. Lindberg and Robert S. Westman, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge
which is nothing but a representation of truth. For the truth of being and the truth of knowing are one, differing no more than the direct beam and the beam reflected. This vice, therefore, branches itself into two sorts: delight in deceiving, and aptness to be deceived; imposture and credulity; which, although they appear to be of a diverse nature, the one seeming to proceed of cunning, and the other of simplicity, yet certainly they do for the most part concur, as the verse notes: “I flee the
this end were we born, that in after ages wonders might be told of us,” as if what Alexander had done seemed to him miraculous. But in the next age Titus Livius took a better and a deeper view of the matter, saying in effect, that Alexander “had done no more than take courage to despise vain apprehensions.” And a like judgment I suppose may be passed on myself in future ages: that I did no great things, but simply made less account of things that were accounted great. In the meanwhile, as I have
