FRANCIS

BACON
Life, Legacy & Work
In 1597, Bacon coined this famous equation Knowledge is Power which he most likely
wanted to transmit the idea that having and sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of
reputation and influence, and therefore power; all achievements emanate from this.
In Novum Organum (1620; “New Instrument”),
consisted of three main steps: first, a description
of facts; second, a tabulation, or classification, of
those facts into three categories—instances of the
presence of the characteristic

The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

Bacon is often credited with
being the first in a tradition of
thought known as
British empiricism
(all concepts originate in
experience) ,
which is characterized by the
view that all knowledge
must come ultimately from
sensory experience.
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 Baconian Method
It is a methodical observation of facts as a
means of studying and interpreting natural
phenomena.
Legacy
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Bacon remained a
notable member of the
parliament for almost
four decades, he was
extremely prominent at
the Royal court, actively
taking part in all legal
and political activities.
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The Great Instauration, by
Francis Bacon, was published in
1620 and describes his plan for
the instauration of the arts and
sciences.

This work precedes and

contains his Novum Organum,
or New Organon, as a second
part. The third part was never
completed and is known as the
Preparative Towards a Natural
and Experimental History.
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It inspired the taxonomic structure
of the highly influential
Encyclopédie by Jean le Rond
d'Alembert and Denis Diderot, and
is credited by Bacon's biographer-
essayist Catherine Drinker Bowen
with being a pioneering essay in
support of empirical philosophy.
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The title is a reference to
Aristotle's work Organon, which
was his treatise on logic and
syllogism.
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Bacon is still widely regarded as a
major figure in scientific
methodology and natural
philosophy during the English
Renaissance.
Having advocated an organized
system of obtaining knowledge
with a humanitarian goal in mind,
he is largely credited with
ushering in the new early modern
era of human understanding.