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Of Truth by Francis Bacon
Of Truth by Francis Bacon
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• Francis Bacon, also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who
served as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. His works are seen as
developing the scientific method and remained influential through the scientific revolution.
• Born: January 22, 1561, York House, London, United Kingdom
• Died: April 9, 1626, Highgate, London, United Kingdom
• Francis Bacon was an English Renaissance statesman and philosopher, best known for his
promotion of the scientific method.
• Bacon, during the enlightenment era, now, and forever, is a symbol for science and rational
thought. Bacon's work spread and inductive methods for scientific analysis became more
prominent. These methods, known as Baconian method, were intended to replace the
methods of Aristotle.
• His works are seen as developing the scientific method and remained influential through the
scientific revolution. Bacon has been called the father of empiricism. He argued for the
possibility of scientific knowledge based only upon inductive reasoning and careful
observation of events in nature.
• Of Truth, by Francis Bacon. "Of Truth" is the opening essay in the final edition of the
philosopher, statesman and jurist Francis Bacon's "Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral" (1625).
... In "Of Truth," Bacon argues that people have a natural inclination to lie to others: "a natural
though corrupt love, of the lie itself."
Of Truth Summary
"What is truth?" said jesting Pilate, and would not Pilate, the ancient Roman Governor of Judaea, was
stay for an answer. Certainly, there be that delight in not much interested in knowing the meaning of truth.
giddiness, and count it a bondage to fix a belief, He seemed to have a sceptical frame of mind. There
affecting free-will in thinking as well as in acting. And are certainly people who frequently change their
though the sects of philosophers of that kind be gone, opinions. They consider it a sign of mental slavery to
yet there remain certain discoursing wits which are of have fixed beliefs. They advocate free will in thought
the same veins, though there be not so much blood in as well as in action. In ancient Greece there was a
them as was in those of the ancients. But it is not only school of philosophers called the Sceptics.
the difficulty and labor which men take in finding out The discovery of truth involves a lot of time and labor.
of truth, nor again that when it is found it imposeth Besides, when truth has been discovered, it acts as a
upon men's thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor, but kind of restraint upon the minds of men, because
a natural though corrupt love of the lie itself. One of men cannot then change their beliefs according to
the later school of the Grecians examineth the matter, their whims. Lies are in favor not because of either of
and is at A stand to think what should be in it, that these two causes. It seems that human beings are
men should love lies where neither they make for somehow or other attracted by lies.
pleasure, as with poets, nor for advantage, as with
the merchant; but for the lie's sake.