A Look Inside
“Theoretical differences notwithstanding, philosophers construed their common search for a definition of the nature of things partly in light of a common view of their capacity as human beings to achieve this goal. The philosophical study of the nature of human cognition and understanding was thus closely related to studies on logic and the methods of learning. These disciplines were widely recognized as mutually interdependent parts of a single enterprise” (an excerpt from Experimental Philosophy and the Birth of Empirical Science, Ben-Chaim 2012).
The cover pages include a detailed print of the honorary Francis Bacon himself. It also describes him as the “most eminent, illustrious, and famous lord…Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alben, Counselor of Estate and Lord Chancellor of England.” A role that is present in many of the title pages of these works, and probably often underappreciated, is that of the translator. Writers like Gilbert Watts also played a major role in advancing science because they made it accessible to all.
The beginning of the table of contents (referred to as the “argument,” a rhetoric seen in other works as well) details the very complex discussion laid out in each book.
This is one of a few charts within the first pages of the book. It clarifies the more general topics and specific arguments that come out of it.
As a man of the law, it makes sense for Bacon to pull in literary and other sources to move his argument. This portion of Book Eight stands out because he also uses Biblical references, specifically some parables (more like proverbs) of King Solomon. These are paired with Bacon’s own explanations.
“Unlike Boyle, however, natural philosophers stressed the importance of keeping the philosophical study of God’s creation apart from the institutions of the Christian religion. In accordance with the age old distinction between knowledge and faith, Bacon, for example, warned that blurring the division between the philosophical study of God’s creation on the one hand, and the obedience to the articles of faith on the other, could produce ‘not only a fantastic philosophy but also an heretical religion’” (excperpt from Experimental Philosophy).