Francis Bacon (January 22, 1561-April 9, 1626), the first Viscount St Alban, EnglandThe RenaissanceEssayist and philosopher of the period.British materialist philosopher, the founder of experimental science, is the founder of modern induction and the pioneer of logical organization of scientific research procedures.His main works include New Tools, On the Promotion of Science, and The Great Revival of Learning.[1]
Bacon joined Cambridge University at the age of 12, and later served as the Queen's special legal adviser, the chief prosecutor of the court, the minister holding the seal, etc.In his later years, he was expelled from the palace by the palace conspiracy, separated from his political career, devoted himself to academic research and writing activities, and wrote a number of books that had a significant impact on the history of modern literary thought, the most important of which was The Great New Instrument of Revival.In addition, he thought about a wide range of life problems from the perspective of a philosopher, and wrote many short essays with lively style, integrating Bacon's Essays.At the end of March 1626, Bacon suffered from wind cold in the experiment due to his weak body, and his bronchitis recurred and his condition worsened.He died on the morning of April 9, 1626.[2]
Francis Bacon was born into a new noble family in London on January 22, 1561.
There are few documents recording Bacon's life and study in his childhood.Bacon received language, Bible and theology education when he was young. In 1573, Bacon was only 12 years oldTrinity College, Cambridge UniversityAfter further study, his study in the university made him doubt the traditional concepts and beliefs, and began to think about the true meaning of society and life alone.Three years later, Bacon was stationed in France as a BritishambassadorHis entourage lives in Paris, France.In just two and a half years, he has almost traveled all over France, which has made him contact with many new things, absorbed many new ideas, and had a great impact on the transformation of his world outlook.
In 1579, his father suddenly died of illness. His plan to support Bacon in the future was broken, and Bacon had to return to London.As life began to fall into poverty, Bacon enteredGray Law School, while studying law, while looking for jobs everywhere.
In 1582, at the age of 21, Bacon obtained the qualification of lawyer. At this time, Bacon became more mature in thought. He was determined to reform all knowledge that was divorced from reality and nature, and introduce experience and practiceepistemology。This is his great ambition of "rejuvenating science", and also his ambition of striving for it all his life.
Bacon Monument
In 1584, at the age of 23, he was electedcongressman。
In 1589, he became the secretary of the court after the vacancy. However, this position was not vacant for 20 years.He ran around, but never got any position.
In 1602,ElizabethDeath,James ISuccession.Because Bacon once advocatedScotlandAndEnglandJames greatly appreciated the merger of.Bacon therefore rose to the top and rose to the top.He was knighted in 1602, appointed as James' adviser in 1604, appointed as Deputy Procurator General in 1607, and appointed as Chief Procurator in 1613,
In 1616, he was appointedprivy councilHe was promoted to the rank of Minister of the Seal in 1617, promoted to the rank of Continental Officer in England in 1618, and was granted the title of Baron of Veruland, and was also granted the title of Viscount Albans in 1621.But Bacon's talent and interest are not in state affairs, but in the search for scientific truth.During this period, he made great achievements in academic research.He has published many books.
Bacon's Theory of Life
In 1621, Bacon was accused by Congress of corruption and bribery and sentenced by the High Court to a fine of 40000 poundsTower of LondonHe was expelled from the palace for life and was not allowed to serve as a member of parliament or official post.Although the fine and imprisonment were later exempted, Bacon was disgraced.From then on, Bacon stopped managing politics and began to concentrate on theoretical writing.
At the end of March in 1626, Bacon took a bus to guardLondonNorthern Suburb.At that time, he was studying the theory of cold and heat and its practical application.When he passed a snow field, he suddenly wanted to do an experiment. He killed a chicken and filled it with snow to observe the effect of freezing on antisepsis.But because of his weak body, he could not withstand the wind and cold,bronchitisHe relapsed, his condition worsened, and died on the morning of April 9, 1626.[3]
Main works
Announce
edit
Chinese name
English name
First edition time
Collection of Essays on Analects
Essays
1597
Preface to Natural Interpretation
De Interpretatione Naturae:Procemiumo/Concerning the Interpretation of Nature:
Preface
On the Brave Birth of the Times
The Temporis Partus Masculus ! The Masculine
Birth of Time
Interpretation of Nature
The Interpretation of Nature
On the Essence of Things
Cogitatioues de Natura Rerum I Thoughts
on the Nature of Things
On Human Knowledge
Cogitatioues de Scientia Humana/Thoughts on Human Knowledge
On Academic Development and Value
De Augument is Scientiarum l Of the Dignity and Advancement of Learning
New West Island is an unfinished novel by the British philosopher Francis Bacon, published in 1627.The New Daxi Island depicts a world in which science dominates everything.The most important institution on the island, "Solomon's Palace", is actually the "Academy of Sciences", which gathers various scientists and intellectuals.Under its leadership, using natural science knowledge, we have established a highly developed technology, vigorously developed production, and developed economy
The New Tool is a philosophical work created by the British philosopher Francis Bacon, formerly known as New Tool or Some Guides to the Interpretation of Nature, and is the second part of The Great Revival.Originally published in 1620.The whole book is divided into two volumes. The first volume focuses on criticizing the views of scholasticism, putting forward the famous four illusion theory, which advocates that man should be the interpreter of nature. Only by understanding and discovering the laws of nature can we conquer nature and change the kingdom of nature into the kingdom of man
Bacon's Essays is a collection of essays written by Francis Bacon, a British philosopher and writer.Essays mainly include some argumentative essays, involving politics, economy, religion, love, marriage, friendship, art, education, ethics and other aspects. Among them, On Reading, On Truth, On Jealousy and On Death are written in simple language and beautiful style, with thorough reasoning and epigrams, which contains the essence of Bacon's thought,Bacon's literature
On Reading
Author nameFrancis Bacon
Work time2018-12
"Talking about Reading" is a collection of Bacon's essays, which includes more than 60 classic works such as "Talking about Reading", "Talking about Truth", "Talking about Human Nature", and "Talking about Friendship". According to the content of the works, they are divided into six parts: philosophy, humanity, politics, fun, social interaction, and life.Among them, "Talking about Reading" was selected as the middle school Chinese textbook.These essays are beautifully written and thoroughly reasoned, reflecting the author's penetrating insight into the people of the world. They can be said to be the encyclopedia of life, which has lasted for hundreds of years
Key achievements
Announce
edit
Induction
Bacon put forward the real method of reaching the general cause of various phenomena - scientific induction.In New Tools, Bacon regarded experiment and induction as complementary tools for scientific discovery.He saw the utility of experiments in revealing the mysteries of nature.Bacon believed that scientific research should use induction based on observation and experiment.Bacon's induction has contributed to the development of science, especially logic.
Bacon expounded his scientific induction in New Tools.He believes that induction is an appropriate way to find axioms and concepts from things, and it is also an important tool for correct thinking and truth exploration.To acquire real knowledge, inductive method is indispensable.He said, "Our only hope is a real induction." "Induction is a method for obtaining true proof. Inductive logic is not a study of knowledge, but a science of the art of natural power.""He pointed out that" induction is a tool to discover the laws governing the development and change of individual things, and a method to obtain the laws governing absolute reality and the forms that can play a decisive role. Bacon's induction, unlike simple enumeration induction, is an exclusive induction.He once stated that induction, which is useful for scientific and technological discovery and proof, must analyze nature with appropriate methods of rejection and exclusion, and then draw conclusions based on positive examples after obtaining a sufficient number of negative examples.Bacon's scientific induction is characterized by that, by referring to the existence table, the lack table and the degree table, the exclusion method can gradually eliminate the external and accidental connections, and purify the internal and essential connections between things.In a word, Bacon's inductive method is to discover the causal relationship between various phenomena in the surrounding reality through the exclusion method from the observation and experimental factual materials.
The purpose of Bacon's induction is to bring new knowledge to people. It is a tool of cognition, not a tool of discussion.Bacon emphasized: "The purpose of my logic's teaching of understanding is not to enable it to grasp some abstract concepts (like ordinary logic) with the delicate tendrils of the mind, but to enable it to truly dissect nature, and to truly discover the sexual virtue and activities of objects, as well as their laws prescribed in the material."My method of interpretation is not limited to the activities or theories involving the mind (as in ordinary logic), but also involves the nature of things. Therefore, I want to provide a rule and guidance for the mind, so that it can properly invest itself in the nature of things in each plot."
Obviously, Bacon's stipulation on the responsibility of inductive logic is quite different from traditional logic.Bacon not only emphasized that inductive logic should study the pure form of thinking, but also, more importantly, he emphasized the method of thinking to reflect objective things and grasp the essence and laws of things.Bacon's scientific induction is based on individual statements of fact. By exploring and judging the causality of objective things, it makes a general conclusion about the movement and change of things, so as to provide knowledge about the form of things (i.e. laws).[4]
Materialism
Francis Bacon
He isNew aristocracyHe opposed divine grant of monarchical power and unlimited monarchical power, and advocated limiting monarchical power;supportpuritanismAdvocate reform, but oppose revolution.For the scholasticism in the Middle Ages, he proposed that we must eliminate the wrong understanding and prejudice (he called it hypocrisy) it caused to people, so as to clear the way for understanding and science.He inherited the ancient timesMaterialismTradition recognizes that nature is material, and believes that the smallest unit that constitutes all things is the real molecule, that is, the simple nature of things, which is limited and unchangeable.A thousand different things are formed by their different arrangements and combinations.Motion is the most important inherent characteristic of matter. Motion is regular and its forms are diverse.He called the laws and regulations of the movement of things as forms.The task of science is to discover forms, thus gaining freedom of action, so as to conquer nature.Put forward the slogan of "knowledge is power".
He put forward materialismempiricismAccording to the basic principle of "feeling is the beginning of knowledge", it is completely reliable and the source of all knowledge.He attached great importance to the role of scientific experiments in cognition, and believed that only through experiments can we make up for the lack of sense organs and deeply reveal the mysteries of nature.He attached importance to induction, emphasized its role and significance, and believed that it was the only correct method, but it denied that the role of deduction was one-sided.He transplanted the isolated and static research method in natural science to philosophy, which resulted in the unique limitations of modern European philosophy.His philosophy has the incompleteness of theology. He advocates double truth and recognizes religious dogmas such as the existence of God and the immortality of the soul.His materialistic philosophy had a great influence on the development of modern philosophy.Main works include:《New tools》、《Academic progress》、《New Daxi Island》、《History of Henry VII》Bacon's Essays, etc.Bacon's《On Reading》The selected person has the 13th lesson of the ninth lesson of the Education Press.[5]Representative works《New tools》It has epoch-making significance and extensive influence in the history of modern philosophy, and philosophers regard it as a transformation from ancient materialism to modern materialismpioneer。
logic
In the first part of New Tools, Bacon discussed the ways of human fallacies from two major aspects: conceptual and methodological, and pointed out the relationship between the two through specific analysis of these two aspects.The first part is a criticism of the old logic -- Aristotle's "syllogism deductive logic" and scholastic logic, which Bacon called "the destructive part".As a result, Bacon proposed the necessity of creating new scientific methods, and opened the prelude to his own "scientific induction" logic.The second part is about some specific requirements of induction, which is called "construction part".As a result, Bacon brought traditional logic to a new stage, and inductive logic became an important part of later logic textbooks.Bacon believed that "induction is a method to obtain true proof. Inductive logic is not a study of knowledge, but a science of the art of natural power". "Induction is a tool to discover the legal system of the development and change of individual things, and a method to obtain the rules that govern absolute reality and the form that can play a decisive role.""Here, Bacon gave us the definition of induction, that is, scientific induction is a method to correctly find axioms and concepts from things, and an important tool for correct thinking and truth exploration.
Philosophy
Bacon was primarily a philosopher, not a scientist.At the beginning, he explored various possibilities of experimental methods. He wanted to be a scientific Columbus, and at the same time, he wanted to attract the attention of others so that they could turn these possibilities into reality.In terms of methodology, Bacon tried to combine the traditional methods of scholars and craftsmen, so as to lead to what he said
Bacon Statue in Trinity College
The real and legal marriage of experience and rational function;As the two were roughly and unhappily separated, the human family fell into chaos. When estimating the situation of the two traditions at that time, Bacon made a comparison between the accumulated growth of craftsmanship and the wrong path of philosophical development.He believed that although the early people devoted to mechanical technology were rough and clumsy, they soon gained new strength and talent.Ancient philosophy was full of vitality, but later it fell into a slump.The best explanation for this opposite situation is that mechanical technology is often a single result of the joint efforts of many people, while in philosophy, it is often a talent who destroys many talents.Many people succumb to the leadership of one person... and thus cannot make any new contribution.Because once philosophy is isolated from the experience that makes it grow, philosophy becomes a dead thing.But as long as we combine the two functions of experiment and reason more closely and more precisely, we can have a lot of hope.[1]
Bacon fundamentally criticized the academic tradition since ancient Greece.He was not satisfied with the ancient Greek philosophers and the academic tradition of neglecting natural philosophy and emphasizing moral philosophy, political philosophy and theology. He believed that it was this tradition that hindered the development of natural philosophy and made natural philosophy childish.
Bacon believed that the only natural philosophy research of ancient Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle's natural philosophy research, was also out of the question.Bacon criticized Aristotle's speculative philosophy and believed that Aristotle subordinated his understanding of nature to useless speculation, logic and dialectics, and constructed the world with logical categories such as potential and reality, which made his natural philosophy rich in speculation without practical use.In his opinion, there were some philosophers in ancient Greece, such as Heraclitus, Democlitus, Anaxagora, and Empedocole. There were also some natural philosophers, because their theories involved experience and the nature of things themselves.Aristotle is different. Although experience is often involved in his Physics, works on zoology and other works on natural philosophy, his conclusions are not derived from experience, but transcendental, so experience is often cut to fit transcendental conclusions.Moreover, he often artificially added some properties to things, which is fundamentally a corruption of natural philosophy.
Bacon criticized the natural philosophy research under the rational control of ancient Greece especially from the method.He believes that since ancient times, no one has seriously opened up a road of human understanding from the senses by means of an experimental procedure.First of all, when people study things, they often resort to the views and opinions of their predecessors, and then they begin to meditate. This method is influenced by opinions, which is totally groundless;Secondly, people often turn to Aristotle's logic to study things.But this kind of logic only finds the things that conform to it under some established principles and principles. It can neither find the principles nor investigate the principles. Finally, it can only be attributed to faith.Even the so-called "experience" of the ancient empiricists is just a "broom to get rid of the shackles", which is a random encounter and aimless experience.What he called "experience" is experience sorted out by induction, which is like a candle and can illuminate the path of experience.So in New Tools, he systematically discussed induction, a new method of exploring nature.[6]
Law
Based on his philosophy, Bacon himself had a grand idea of codification and systematization of English law.He regards English law as an amorphous thing, but can reshape it in the form of a complete code according to the principles consistent with natural law, so as to transform it into a thorough science.As the leader of the British judicial circle, he believed that he must shoulder this mission, and the compilation of the Collection of Laws of the Magistrate's Court, which systematized the previous scattered orders, was just Bacon's important achievement in fulfilling this mission.
In his 1623 edition of Academic Progress, Bacon made a detailed discussion of the Court of Justices in the name of "the Archon's Court".In the book, he discusses the necessity of the existence of the consul court due to the inherent imperfection of the law, and also points out that its jurisdiction must be limited;He also insisted that there must be a clear distinction between the common law and equity, rather than confusion, or it would lead to the result that discretion would eventually replace the common law.Moreover, no court can make a judgment "on the pretext of equity" in violation of "a clear statutory law".In addition, regarding the operation of the Court of Justice, Bacon believed that it was necessary to "formulate clear rules for judges and make them known to the people".[7]
education
In 1623, in the scientific classification of the article "On the Value and Development of Science", "Pedagogy" was put forward as an independent science for the first time, and it was understood as a science of "guiding reading", which was parallel with other disciplines.[8]
Character influence
Announce
edit
Philosophy
Bacon's greatest contribution to philosophy is that he put forward a series of principles of materialistic empiricism;A systematic inductive logic is formulated, emphasizing the role of experiment in cognition.
Francis Bacon
Bacon's New Tool has played a great role in promoting the materialistic empiricism philosophy.
The method of studying nature by empirical observation is based on the profound analysis of objective objects.This objective grasp of the material world has a profound role in promoting the formation of British materialism.After Bacon, Hobbes systematized and one-sided the materialism tradition created by Bacon, forming a typical modern sense of mechanical materialism;Bacon's empiricism tendency epistemology, after Hobbes, was demonstrated and developed by Locke, forming a systematic materialist empiricism thought;Bacon's method of splitting the whole and trying to grasp the essence has brought theoretical basis to idealistic metaphysics.
Bacon's "New Tools" brought to later generations the theoretical hotbed of empiricism, metaphysics and materialism, and had a great impact on the philosophy of later generations.
Francis Bacon
Bacon's logic takes natural science as the main research object. Before that, scientific knowledge was an unconscious cognitive activity.But since Bacon's inductive logic came out, there has been another way for scientific understanding.People can conduct scientific research more by means of observation, experiment and empirical materials.The establishment of modern science makes inductive logic emerge at the historic moment. The emergence of inductive logic reacts on science and promotes the development of modern science.On the other hand, contemporary scientific logic is developed under the enlightenment of Bacon's inductive logic.The tradition of emphasizing observation, experiment, analysis and synthesis in natural science is inseparable from the tradition created by Bacon.Therefore, Bacon's inductive logic opened another window for the understanding of natural science.
In the history of logic, Plato was the first recorded person to use inductive thought, and Aristotle later discussed this method in his works.But it was Bacon who really established inductive logic into a system.Bacon elaborated the purpose, principle, method and limitation of this method in his works, which made induction present to the world in a complete manner and created the inductive logic system for the first time.But this kind of creation is very imperfect.Bacon's limitations determined that he was only the founder of inductive logic.His follower Mueller, on the basis of summarizing Bacon's inductive logic, expanded the "three tables method" as a method of scientific discovery to "Mueller's five methods", and finally the formal inductive logic was really completed.Mill's five methods are the inheritance and development of Bacon's inductive logic.
be relative toKant 、Hegel、martin heidegger For such philosophers, few people like Bacon's philosophy. In the history of philosophy, Bacon's position seems insignificant.However, in the historical evolution of western practical philosophy, Francis Bacon and his contemporariesGalileoHowever, they played an important turning point. They jointly created an anti Aristotelian tradition of technological praxis, which had an important impact on the whole western practical concept since then.[6]
Induction
Francis Bacon
Bacon's logical thought came into being in Renaissance Europe, where politics, economy and culture experienced tremendous changes.The great progress of natural science requires the development of inductive logic, which in turn promotes the development of science.Bacon, on the basis of criticizing and inheriting the old logic, proposed the inductive logic, a scientific discovery method characterized by observation and experiment.Bacon's inductive logic is an exclusive inductive logic and one of the forms of classical inductive logic.
Bacon tried to make people get rid of the shackles of scholastic theology through induction, and led people to approach nature to discover new things.Because Bacon provided a good "tool for scientific discovery" for the natural scientists who needed the most methodological tools at that time, he was generally welcomed by scientists and played a great role in promoting the development of modern natural experimental science.Bacon's induction has epoch-making significance for philosophy, logic and natural science.[3]
Law
Bacon's career as a justice played an important role in promoting the development of equity.To be specific, he cleared up the accumulated disadvantages, improved the procedure of the Lord Chancellor's Court, and compiled a procedural code, which laid the foundation for the further development of the equity system;He helped restore the harmonious relationship between the Lord Chancellor's Court and the Common Law Court;He further developed the equity system through judicial decisions, and at the same time, he saw the necessity of establishing the precedent principle in the field of equity and put it into practice.These contributions made Bacon a successor in the history of equity developmentThomas More , following NottinghamHardwickThe indispensable person of.[7]
Character evaluation
Announce
edit
Marx、EngelsBacon was called "the first founder of British materialism";It is "the real ancestor of the whole experimental science", which is a scientific summary of the characteristics of Bacon's philosophy.
When evaluating Bacon's methodology, Marx once said:
Francis Bacon
"Science is the science of experiment, and the scientific method is to use rational methods to sort out perceptual materials. Induction, analysis, comparison, observation and experiment are rational methods and important conditions."
After Bacon's death, Sir Henry Walden wrote for himepitaphThe Viscount Saint Alban should be called "the light of science" and "the tongue of law" if he uses a more prominent title.
Holler: "Bacon's book is more able to cultivate one's moral character than any other book. He is one of the genius figures sent by God. He teaches us how to achieve success and how to create greatness. He makes people believe that genius is not a gift from God, but a result of hard work. Labor can create all miracles."[9]
Hegel: Bacon really cared about reality, not theory.[10]
Dampier: Except Boyle, Bacon seems to have little or no influence on people actually engaged in experimental science.However, he made great contributions to improving the academic community's consideration of contemporary scientific issues... The fact that Bacon believed it was reliable was an urgent need at that time.This is very correct... His theories and scientific methods are also too ambitious in philosophy, and too insufficiently grounded in practice.[11]
German philosopher Feuerbach: "Bacon is the direct or perceptual founder of modern natural science".[12]
Family members
Announce
edit
Francis Bacon's grandfather was a housekeeper who was in charge of the Bethel St. Edmunds Temple.Bacon's father, Nicolas Bacon, entered Cambridge University to study and participate in political activities in his early years, and then purchased several manors belonging to the temple managed by his father.As a political activist of the "new noble" faction, Nicholas once served as the minister of the seal of Queen Elizabeth, and was praised as a representative of the honest, intelligent, capable, well-known, respected, and knowledgeable "new noble".His thoughts had a great influence on Bacon.Bacon's mother, Anne, was born in the nobility. She was an enthusiastic participant in the religious reform, had a good upbringing and academic temperament, and had participated in the translation of religious works.She had a deep influence on Bacon in education, religion and other aspects.Count William Cecil Bolai, Bacon's uncle and an important official in the court, refused to apply for a job several times because of Bacon's talent envy.This rejection of Bacon's talent also has a huge impact on Bacon's career and ideology.Since Bacon's family always has some connection with Buckingham Palace, the cause of Bacon's family is always closely related to British politics, economy and religion.[3]
