Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban PC KCwas an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, and author. He served both as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth21 January 1561
fashion truth discovery
There are and can be only two ways of searching into and discovering truth. The one flies from the senses and particulars to the most general axioms, and from these principles, the truth of which it takes for settled and immovable, proceeds to judgment and to the discovery of middle axioms. And this way is now in fashion. The other derives axioms from the senses and particulars, rising by a gradual and unbroken ascent, so that it arrives at the most general axioms last of all. This is the true way, but as yet untried.
fashion philosophy believe
But the idols of the Market Place are the most troublesome of all: idols which have crept into the understanding through their alliances with words and names. For men believe that their reason governs words. But words turn and twist the understanding. This it is that has rendered philosophy and the sciences inactive. Words are mostly cut to the common fashion and draw the distinctions which are most obvious to the common understanding. Whenever an understanding of greater acuteness or more diligent observation would alter those lines to suit the true distinctions of nature, words complain.
fashion art realizing
Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse.
counsel execution good great unless
In counsel it is good to see dangers; but in execution not to see them unless they be very great
begins content man shall
In contemplation, if a man begins with certainties he shall end in doubts; but if he be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.
boldness child civil ignorance
In civil business; what first? Boldness; what second, and third? Boldness. And yet boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness.
serve studies
Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.
belief best faithful health mind
The best preservative to keep the mind on health is the faithful admonition of a friend.
cannot covetous man money possess properly thy
If money be not they servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him.
angry feels himself hurt man
No man is angry that feels not himself hurt
dust fly sat tree wheel
It was prettily devised of Aesop, ""The fly sat on the axle tree of the chariot wheel and said, what dust do I raise!
active further keeps lame latter man obvious road runner swift takes wrong
The lame man who keeps the right road outstrips the runner who takes a wrong one. Nay, it is obvious that the more active and swift the latter is the further he will go astray.
cannot joys nor parents utter
The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears: they cannot utter the one, nor will they utter the other
english-philosopher joys parents
The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears.