FRANCIS BACON’S ESSAYS: A REFLECTION ON

HUMAN NATURE AND SOCIETY

Port City International University

Submitted By:
Name: Md. Abdullah Akib Submitted To:

ID No: ENG 027 05975 Course Teacher: Abu Hanif

Program: B.A. in English Lecturer, Department of English

Department: English Port City International University

Port City International University

Course Title: Seventeenth Century Prose and Drama

Course Code: ENL 202
Submission Date: June 1st, 2023
 Table of Contents

1. Abstract 1
2. Introduction 2
3. Literature Review 3-4
4.Research Questions 5
5. Discussion 6-9
6. Conclusion 10
7. Works Cited 11
 Akib 1

Abstract:
This assignment deals with the concepts and ideas from the essays of Francis Bacon to provide
us a universal guidance of what is the essence of a man, his surroundings, his role in society,
his duty towards family and friends, his overall responsibility if he gets into a higher place, his
judgement in both youth and old age, his desire for materialism or worldly gains.

“Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed” is a phrase used by one of the most influential
prose writers of the 17th century, Francis Bacon, offers us a new picture of the world, and our
overall role in it as man, the supreme creation in the eyes of God.

No other writers of Bacon’s contemporary society portrayed every nature that exists within a
man so explicitly or broadly that it is hard not to find any relevant connection of his work even
to this day. Moreover, the overall tone or writing style of Bacon’s prose offers sublimity,
making his works unparalleled.

Bacon inspires men to be more practical in their lives and accept the many ups and downs that
also comes as a part of life, to make him triumph over every difficult situation he faces in his
life and his society.

This assignment is written with an aim to provide how Bacon used his prose writing to show
us the pros and cons of human nature, to provide us an overall reflection on human nature and
the many struggles or pitfalls a man stumbles upon while living in a civilized society, the
grandeur of challenges he faces either to meet other peoples’ expectations or to live a life that
is free from expectations or give priority of what an individual truly desires.
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Introduction:
Before discussing the core concepts of Bacon’s philosophical essays, we must first talk a bit
about the man behind the whole scheme of things. Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) was an English
essayist, philosopher, scientist, statesman and jurist.

Bacon, being the father of English Prose, is the first scientific philosopher to write English in
a clean, simple and aphoristic style. Bacon’s essays have a note of authority about them. Bacon
was a keen observer, and he was also the father of empiricism before the term even existed.
Bacon’s essays, in their final form are illuminated with beautiful and moving imagery.
However, Bacon’s prose seems at times to lack aptness. He uses the same idiom and the same
rhythm in some of his essays.

‘Man’ is the subject of Bacon’s essays. His interest in humans and their nature is one of the
reasons why his essays are universally popular.

The way Bacon portrays or presents us his observation on human nature is praiseworthy in
itself. Never before a prose writer gave us something as close as Bacon did in his essays – the
behavior of a man if he manages to into a higher place or position, the nature and judgement
on things between young generations and old generations, the message of love for humans,
between husbands and wives, between lovers, nuptial love or friendly love or wanton love, the
contrast between single life and marriage life, studies and practical experience complement
each other and lastly, the real nature of a man both in privacy or private life.

This assignment will provide us a collective idea based on Bacon’s essays on human nature
and his role in a society, as a whole. Bacon’s essays mostly can be broadly divided into three
categories: (i) Man in relation to the world and his society (ii) Man in relation to himself and
(iii) Man in relation to his Maker. But some essays of Bacon may fall into more than one
category because one cannot call these divisions altogether mutually exclusive.

Bacon’s essays inspire readers to understand human nature in a better way. Bacon urges his
readers to better use one’s intellect and knowledge to have a better understanding of the world
we live in, our surroundings and the society we are part of, how one can overcome the
challenges in life, our interactions with our communities, our judgement upon what is right or
wrong, our role in promoting or protecting the general good, our awareness of the vices or
follies we carry within ourselves, to realize the rights and wrongs, and to live our life to the
fullest as a proper human being.
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Literature Review:
Francis Bacon, being one of the most influential essayists of his time, have become the topic
of debate and discussion between many critics throughout the ages. The way his essays deals
with a specific subject matter and gives a universal guiding principle have surely managed to
gain the attention of readers and critics alike.

One critic points out one of the fundamental themes that pervade Bacon’s essays is his emphasis
on the dual nature or duality within a human being. In his opinion, Bacon’s essays assert that
men possess an innate mixture of higher ambitions and basic instincts, which leads to inner
conflicts and disturbance within a man’s mind and hampers his overall growth as a decent
human being. In his essay “Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature” Bacon asserts that humans
have “an amalgamation of both good and evil, which no man’s nature can endure.” This
acknowledgment of the innate contradictions within men’s nature reflects Bacon’s insightful
perception of the human condition.

Another critic points out another core aspect of Bacon’s essays which is the pursuit of
knowledge and power that inhabits within a man’s nature. Bacon acknowledges the innate
curiosity and impulse for understanding that propels human beings to seek knowledge. In his
essay “Of Studies” Bacon praises the virtues of learning and education, prioritizing their
transformative potential for individuals and society. According to Bacon, knowledge enables
men to surpass their limitations and gain a better and more practical understanding in life.

According to another critic, Bacon seems to be stating the influence of ‘External Factors’ that
can also play a vital part in shaping a man’s character. In “Of Parents and Children” he stresses
the susceptible role played by family members and its importance in shaping an individual’s
nature.

Additionally, Bacon also asserts the influence of society and environment on shaping a man’s
character. In “Of Custom and Education” he states that societal norms and cultural conditioning
play a vital role in shaping men’s behavior. However, Bacon also seems to be warning us
against the mindless adherence to tradition because tradition sometimes causes a man to
overlook his potential and follow customs and blindly accepting the traditions may lead to
contradictions with moral principles. Bacon, therefore, calls for a critical assessment of
established practices to ensure they align with one’s moral principles.
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However, some critics argue that Bacon’s emphasis on men’s nature in his essays reflects a
deep skepticism about the innate goodness of human beings. Bacon’s essays emphasize on the
corrupting influence of desires, passions, and the limitations of human understanding. Critics
argue that this point of view of Bacon’s perception towards human nature sets him apart from
early humanist thinkers who had a more sanguine view towards human nature.

Bacon’s views on society also varies in many ways. Sometimes, his views on society contradict
with one another, his gender bias supports patriarchal society’s perspective, his emphasis on
idealism rather than realism, and advocating elitism.

According to some critics, Bacon’s views on society are often ambiguous. His ideology and
beliefs on society often contradicts with each other. While Bacon advocates for the pursuit of
knowledge and the improvement of society, he himself then emphasizes the importance of
traditions or customs, and the preservation of existing social principles.

Some critics have also pointed out the gender bias present in Bacon’s views on society. The
critics have argued that Bacon’s essays largely reflect a patriarchal society’s perspective, with
scanty contemplation for the experiences and contributions of women. This type of viewpoint
is not surprising if we consider the time period, as it was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth
I. During this period in history, women were not given that much credit and the society was
largely controlled by men. Since, men were considered more superior to women, any works of
literature, arts, and drama gave the utmost priority towards men.

Many critics have also criticized Bacon’s idealistic vision of society, as it lacks realism. One
critic specifically pointed out that Bacon fails to recognize the inherent shortcomings and
complexities that resides within human nature. He also points out that Bacon’s essays often
neglect the practical challenges and limitations that arise in the pursuit of social progress.

Another criticism the critics pointed out is that Bacon’s essays have a lack of engagement with
social conflict. His essays do not moderately engage with the realities of social disputation and
power struggles within society. Bacon fails to recognize the inherent tensions and partiality that
exists in social systems and the need for change to address those social affairs or issues.
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Research Question:
With regards to data collection tools, some intriguing questions were used in this study. Some

sample questions are given below to prove the objective of this assignment –

Question 1: Does love deprive a man of his wisdom, or does Bacon’s essays advocate

utilitarianism that love prevents a man from achieving greatness and fame?

Question 2: Can studies or the pursuit of knowledge cure mental disorders that may exist within

an individual, or is the proper utilization of studies can bring progress and growth within an

individual and his society?

Question 3: Why do men seek for temporary happiness through lies instead of embracing the

truth which is unchangeable or is it something inherent in men’s nature to seek for something

temporary rather than something permanent?

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Discussion:
Francis Bacon uses quite a different approach when he wrote his essays and his message about
a specific subject is often ambiguous and they also at times contradict with each other. In his
essay “Of Love” Bacon explores the human behavior on love in comparison to real life and to
that of theatre. “The stage is more beholding to Love, than the life of man. For as to the
stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies” Bacon cleverly
compares the ups and downs of one’s romantic experiences to the captivating love stories
represented in theatre. Theatre plays are part of a writing on how the writer or dramatist wants
his/her characters to love or to display love. Theatre love is fabricated and can be termed into
‘Fantasy’ because it avoids the realities of love that a man faces in real life. “In life it doth
much mischief” implies that love in real life sometimes may be false or full of pretense, unlike
the love that is portrayed in theatres. Love has benefited the theatre more than it has in the
human life. The first few lines of Bacon’s essay “Of Love” seems to be stating the fact that love
in real life can be quite destructive and may bring downfall to a person’s life. “Sometimes like
a siren, sometimes like a fury” here Bacon uses similes to describe that love, may at times,
can take the form of a siren or it can take the form of a fury or violent desires or rage ruining
the lover which can be seen in Shakespeare’s play “Othello”.

“Amongst all the great and worthy persons, there is not one that hath been transported
to the mad degree of love” this statement implies that men of great ambitions or men in high
social status ignore love completely or do not let it distract them in their goals. Bacon might be
stating a term which is known as ‘Utilitarianism’ against love. Utilitarianism is a theory of
morality which advocates actions that prioritize the promotion of happiness and pleasure while
opposing those that cause harm and unhappiness. Bacon is stating that love can bring harm to
an individual and may ruin his life. According to Bacon, love makes a man unwise or irrational.
We can see popular examples from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Homer’s
“Iliad” where the irrational lovers bring risks to their own lives and other’s lives as well.

A lover also uses too much exaggeration to win the heart of his lover. This type of behavior or
feeling is often false and holds no rationality. A lover is often blind towards his beloved and
does not use any meaningful judgement towards them if they do commit a mischief.
 Akib 7

However, Bacon completely rejects the complexities of love or how love can change a
person’s life. Bacon urges that it is more important to have love for all humanity rather than
love for one individual. Love cannot interfere with a man’s private business or his objectives
in life. If love comes into contact with them, a man’s life will be destroyed, and he cannot
progress further in his life. That is to say, Bacon urges his readers to have love for all humanity
because it encourages a man to do charity and goodness for the society.

Moving on to our next topic, everyone has five basic rights and education is one of them. Bacon
stresses the importance of education in his essay “Of Studies” and also provides his readers on
how to study in a more effective manner. “Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for
ability” Bacon states the benefits of studying books. By studying, a person can find pleasure, a
person may find ornamental value. Study can also enhance a person’s practical ability to better
judge any events or situation. Through study, a person can learn many languages and increase
his speech and fluency and can easily talk with anyone with confidence. A man can ease his
boredom during retirement through study as it can provide him pleasure.

“The general counsels, and the plots of marshalling of affairs, come best from those that
are learned”

A learned man has a lot of experience than an ignorant man, as he knows what is best for any
given circumstances. He deals with his business and affairs more effectively than the
uneducated or the inexperienced man. He knows the best judgement for a problem because
studying of vast books increases a man’s practical ability and allows him to stand high in
society. Reading of books fills the mind with new ideas and develops the whole personality of
an individual.

“Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them” this line
from Bacon’s essay states that the cunning men often neglect studies because they do not proper
its proper use in their lives or fails to use it enhance their character. The crafty men see studies
as something cheap and obsolete. Simple men just admire the grandeur of study, but also fails
to properly utilize study into their lives. It is the wise men who study effectively, not just for
academic purposes, but to increase their overall character, and to use their gained knowledge
in practical life. The wise men are the ones who properly utilizes his studies to do betterment
for the society because studies enable a man to make better decisions in his family, his friend
circle, his community and his state.
 Akib 8

However, Bacon also states the negative sides of over studying. “To spend too much time
in studies is sloth” indicates that studying for a long period of time is a sign of laziness as a
person must never invest his time in one activity. Also, reading books only to decorate one’s
speech is not the proper utilization of study. A man must never show himself to be more
educated than his fellow statesmen and neighbors. Bacon also states “to make judgement
wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar” as something cannot be judged based
solely on bookish knowledge. Bookish knowledge sometimes does not delve into a more wider
range of learning, and a wise man will never resort to just limited knowledge to pass his
judgement or opinion upon others or his society.

“Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; nature philosophy deep;
moral grave” asserts that studies have the power to shape a man’s character, as it enables an
individual to think more deeply by reading philosophy, he may find pleasure by reading poetry
as poetry enables imagination and thinking in a person’s mind. Histories make a man wise;
rhetoric and logic develop a man’s thinking ability and enables him to debate and argue on
specific issues.

“Nay there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies;
like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises” affirms that study has remedy
for mental defects such as there are medicines and exercises for each disease. A man can find
all kind of remedies through studies if he faces confusion or doubt in his life. Thus, a wise man
by properly utilizing his studies, can bring progress and betterment to the society through his
gained knowledge and practical experience.

Moving on to our final topic, this area of discussion will cover the most inherent or universal
nature that exists within almost every man that is- the embracing of lies and falsehood by
abandoning the unchangeable truth. “But a natural though corrupt love of the lie itself” this
text from the essay of Bacon’s “Of Truth” indicates this universal nature in men that an
individual lies just for the sake of lying and it is basic to a man’s nature. A man likes to lie
because his mind is in a constant change of opinions, and it is a pleasure to him. Resorting to
lie is also easier than speaking out the truth because truth is always hard to express and not
everyone wants to stray away from a peaceful time. Telling of lies gives a person temporary
pleasure, he wants to enjoy his temporary happiness even for a brief moment, but a lie is like a
cover up and it needs to be hidden properly through more lies that supports it.
 Akib 9

“Certainly there be that delight in giddiness and count it a bondage to fix a belief;
affecting free will in thinking, as well as in acting” this statement refers that men likes to
believe what they want to believe, not what is the actual truth or false. Men’s mind is in a
constant change of opinions, and they consider it a mental slavery to have fixed beliefs. They
are even willing to accept the lie if it offers them complete freedom of thought and action. This
type of examples can be seen in politicians as they resort to lying to keep peace and stability
within the state and the common people accept this lies as truths without questioning them just
to avoid any drastic issues. If we see from the life of Socrates, he died because he was in the
path of truth and the Athenians couldn’t accept this and they feared that it might bring a change
to their state and its inhabitants.

“If it be well weighed, to say that a man lieth, is as much as to say, that he is brave towards
God and a coward towards men”

A man through lies puts himself in a paradoxical position against God and he fears men more
than God. God supports truth and it is universal; it is not fabricated but rather naked and genuine
and a truth is never unchangeable. But men resort to falsehood because it provides them
temporary peace and makes him avoid conflicts with others. But he cannot bravely express the
truth even though God supports the path of truth, and he will resort to more lies if his truth is
bitter. This makes a man challenge the divine sovereignty of God and makes him an adversary
towards God. His fear of men will surely lead to his own downfall, just as the Jews crucified
Christ in the cross and their (Jews) downfall followed them soon after. Even the Israelites
resorted to falsehood even though God protected them, and they also met their eminent
downfall at the appointed time.

“But no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage ground of Truth” refers
to the person who embraces truth is in a higher position than any other men in this world. Truth
is universal and genuine and there are no drawbacks of truth. The men who simply embraces
truth has found paradise on earth and it will make look him upon the errors within himself and
his fellow brothers. Truth will enable him to do charity which is one of the highest virtues in
Christianity and charity will surely bring goodness to society.

A quotation from the U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt says, “In the long run, the most
unpleasant truth is a safer companion than a pleasant falsehood” simply refers to the
universal message that there is no other alternative besides truth, and though truth may
sometimes be bitter, it is permanent, and falsehood never holds any solid ground.
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Conclusion:
The way Bacon wrote his essays to provide us a clear picture of human nature can be found
relevant even to this modern period. Bacon offers us a new picture of the world and his essays
hold the universal message of truth, goodness and charity.

A man might find himself in peril, but he must never give in to his temptations or desires. He
must not let love to interfere with his private business and he must not delve too much deep in
love because love will hamper his judging ability. A man must study in the correct or effective
manner if he is to change his character for his overall growth, not just to decorate his speech
with ornamental language or think of himself to be higher than his fellow citizens. Surely, study
contains remedies for all mental issues like each disease have their own exercises. According
to Bacon, studying for long sessions is a sign of sloth, one of the seven deadly sins, which is
considered something negative to be existing in men’s nature. Proper utilization of studies
improves a man’s overall judgment, enhances his debate and logic, and enables him to handle
day to day business affairs effectively and skillfully.

Truth and Honesty, the most grandeur quality a man can possess, or if he embraces truth, it will
take him to greater heights. Bacon states that these types of men have found paradise on earth.
Truth will allow them to look within their errors and the errors of others as well. Truth will
encourage a person to do charitable works for his society and it is one of the highest Christian
virtues. He may also receive divine reward or God’s grace in the hereafter, because God is with
the person who is in the path of truth and if he embraces falsehood, he becomes God’s
adversary. Truth is naked and it is not in need of any fabrication, whereas lying needs
fabrication to the highest level, and it holds no solid ground.

The main influence upon Bacon is Bacon himself. His keen observation of human behavior is
so precise and sublime that no other writers, or poets have portrayed human nature in such
clarity than Bacon did in his essays. Alexander Pope has described Bacon as “the wisest,
brightest and meanest of mankind”. Bacon used his intellect and higher degree of knowledge
to write his essays. The readers of Bacon might find his ideas to be supporting utilitarianism,
but in reality, Bacon tells us to be more practical in life, to be aware of our vices or flaws, and
to use those vices to improve our character, pass better judgement and opinion towards others,
study effectively to shape our character, speak or embrace the truth for the betterment of
ourselves and also for our society, and last of all, to live our lives fully and virtuously as proper
human beings that will bring goodness not just to ourselves or our society, but to all of mankind.
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Works Cited:
1. https://www.academia.edu/1756511/Bacon_and_Human_Nature

2. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780739144831

3. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/francis-bacon

4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320596355

5. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1408806

6. https://www.thoughtco.com/of-studies-by-francis-bacon-1688771

7. http://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-50.html