Bacon’s political views

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English scientist and lawyer. Bacon was an instrumental figure in the Renaissance and Scientific Enlightenment. In particular, Bacon developed and popularised a scientific method which marked a new scientific rigour based on evidence, results and a methodical approach to science. He is widely considered to be the father of empiricism and the Scientific Revolution of the Renaissance period.

Early life

Bacon was born 22 January 1561 near the Strand, London, England. Aged 12, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge where he followed a traditional medieval curriculum with most lessons conducted in Latin. Although he admired Aristotle, he was critical of Aristotle’s approach to philosophy (he called it ‘unhelpful’) and the scholastic tradition which was unquestioning in accepting past assumptions of the classic teachers, such as Aristotle and Plato.

Aged 15, Bacon travelled to the continent, spending time in France but also visiting Italy and Spain. He studied civil law and became acquainted with political realities, serving as part of England’s foreign ambassadors. On his travels, he delivered letters for high ranking English officials, including Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1579, the sudden death of his father meant Bacon returned home to London, where he began his practice of law at Gray’s Inn. With little or no inheritance, he was forced to borrow from family members to tide him over. Despite ill health, which dogged him throughout his life, Bacon was ambitious to serve his country, church and thirdly to pursue the truth – in philosophy and science.

In 1581, he was elected to Parliament as a member of Bossiney, Cornwall. He would remain a member of parliament (for different constituencies) for the next four decades. This provided a platform to help Bacon become a noted public figure and leading member of the government.

Bacon’s political views

Bacon was a liberal reformer. He supported the monarch within a parliamentary democracy. He supported reform of feudal laws and spoke in favour of religious tolerance. He was also an influential supporter of union between England and Scotland (which occurred 1707). He advocated the union on the grounds that a constitutional union would bring the nations closer together, promoting peace and economic strength.

His sharp intellect and grasp of issues saw him promoted to different posts, including Attorney General in 1594. He was also a skilful political operator, willing to flatter and beseech people of influence and power to help him gain favour.

However, after opposing Queen Elizabeth’s plan to raise subsidies for the war against Spain, he temporarily fell from favour and he struggled to find a position. His limited financial reserves came back to haunt him and, for a time, he was arrested for debt. However, he later regained the Queens trust and was part of the legal team which investigated charges against the Earl of Essex for a plot of treason against the Queen.

Bacon as Lord Chancellor

The ascension of James I, saw Bacon become one of the kings most trusted civil servants. He managed to mostly stay in favour with both the King and parliament – despite their estrangement over the Kings extravagance. Bacon was appointed Baron Verulam in 1618 and Lord Chancellor (the highest position in the land) in the same year. Bacon was the main mediator between the king and parliament during the tense years. By 1621, he was appointed to the peerage as Viscount St Alban. However, by the end of the year, his meteoric rise to the top of British politics came to an abrupt end as he was arrested for 23 counts of corruption. Bacon had fallen into debt, but also the charges were enthusiastically promoted by Sir Edward Coke, a lifelong enemy of Bacon.

Bacon argued the charges were promoted by political intrigue. Although he had accepted gifts, he claimed this was widely regarded as the custom of the day, and he never let it influence his decision. Writing to the king, he wrote:Novum Organum (1620) was one of his most influential works, which expressed a new style of logic. Bacon advocated the use of reduction and empirical understanding. It rejected a more philosophical ‘metaphysical’ approach of the old sciences. Bacon invented the metaphor ‘idol’ to indicate how a man could be wrongly influenced by forces such as over-simplification, hasty generalisations or over-focus on meaningless language differences.

The importance of this scientific method is that it opened up the possibility for challenging all existing scientific orthodoxy. Bacon’s approach was championed by Voltaire, and it became a strong component of the French enlightenment. Modern science does not follow Bacon’s method in all detail, but the spirit of empirical research can be traced to Bacon’s revolutionary new approach.

On 9 April 1926, Bacon died from pneumonia. In an account by John Aubrey, (‘Brief Lives’) Bacon died after catching a chill conducting a scientific experiment – trying to stuff a fowl with snow to see if it preserved life. Writing his last letter to Lord Arundel, Bacon also mentions this incident:

Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, was an English statesman, lawyer, and philosopher considered an influential figure in the scientific revolution. An eloquent writer, he wrote extensively on topics ranging from law and religion to contemporary politics and ethics. The son of Sir Nicholas Bacon and Anne, a scholar, he grew up in an environment that valued education and intellectual discussions. He was educated at the University of Cambridge. He qualified as a lawyer and pursued a legal career for some time before venturing into politics. Over the years, he became known as a liberal-minded reformer who opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers. He was also against religious persecution. He had close ties with the royalty and went on to become the first Queen's Counsel designate. He was eventually appointed attorney general during the reign of James I and continued to rise in stature in the coming years. Despite having a successful career and a position of power in society, he was plagued by financial woes. He fell into deep debt and was charged with several cases of corruption, following which his high-profile career ended in disgrace. As a philosopher, he left behind a rich legacy in scientific, juridical, religious, and literary works.

In 1579, Francis Bacon took up his residence in law at Gray's Inn to support himself while looking for a better position. In 1581, he was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Bossiney, Cornwall, and the following year, he was admitted as an outer barrister.

He began his involvement in high politics in the mid-1580s when he wrote the political memorandum, A Letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth, in 1584. He was dissatisfied with the system of sciences prevalent during that time and wanted to formulate a new system emphasizing empirical methods. However, Queen Elizabeth wasn’t in favor of this.

His legal career thrived in the 1580s as did his political career. He was elected to a seat in Parliament for Melcombe in 1584. He was actively involved in the investigation of English Catholics and called for strict action against Mary, Queen of Scots.

He was a member of many committees, including the one to revise the laws of England. He became MP for Liverpool in 1588 and Middlesex in 1593. In the ensuing years, he represented Ipswich thrice and Cambridge University once.

In the 1590s, he was also engaged in numerous scholarly and literary pursuits besides his political career. He gained popularity as a liberal-minded reformer who opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers despite having good relations with the royalty.

In 1597, Queen Elizabeth reserved him as her legal counsel, making him the first Queen's Counsel designate. He also received a patent that gave him precedence at the bar. His professional relationship with the queen steadily improved over the years.

Queen Elizabeth died in 1603 and James I succeeded her to the throne of England. Francis Bacon earned the favors of James as well. Bacon was knighted in 1603 and made the solicitor general in 1607.

He finally bagged the coveted position of attorney general in 1613. He held much influence over the king, and this earned him several enemies in the court.

In 1617, he was appointed as temporary Regent of England, and the following year, he was created Baron Verulam, of Verulam, in the Peerage of England.

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Despite having a high-profile career, Francis Bacon struggled with financial woes and huge debts. He was then charged with 23 separate counts of corruption and sentenced to a fine of £40,000. The king pardoned his fine, but this disgrace ended his political career for good.

No longer burdened by political responsibilities, Francis Bacon devoted himself to philosophy and writing.

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Francis Bacon

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Quick Facts
Birthday: January 22, 1561

Died At Age: 65

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Also Known As: Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, Lord Verulam

Born Country: England

Born In: Strand, London, England

Famous As: Philosopher

Quotes By Francis Bacon Bisexual

Family:
Spouse/Ex-: Alice Barnham (M. 1606–1625)

Father: Sir Nicholas Bacon

Mother: Anne (Cooke) Bacon

Siblings: Anthony Bacon

Died On: April 9, 1626

Place Of Death: Highgate, London, England

Notable Alumni: University Of Poitiers

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Who was Francis Bacon?
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, was an English statesman, lawyer, and philosopher considered an influential figure in the scientific revolution. An eloquent writer, he wrote extensively on topics ranging from law and religion to contemporary politics and ethics. The son of Sir Nicholas Bacon and Anne, a scholar, he grew up in an environment that valued education and intellectual discussions. He was educated at the University of Cambridge. He qualified as a lawyer and pursued a legal career for some time before venturing into politics. Over the years, he became known as a liberal-minded reformer who opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers. He was also against religious persecution. He had close ties with the royalty and went on to become the first Queen's Counsel designate. He was eventually appointed attorney general during the reign of James I and continued to rise in stature in the coming years. Despite having a successful career and a position of power in society, he was plagued by financial woes. He fell into deep debt and was charged with several cases of corruption, following which his high-profile career ended in disgrace. As a philosopher, he left behind a rich legacy in scientific, juridical, religious, and literary works.

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Childhood & Early Life
Francis Bacon was born on 22 January 1561, in London, to Sir Nicholas Bacon and his second wife, Anne Cooke. His father was the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, and his mother, a highly educated woman for her era, was a scholar. The noted Renaissance humanist Anthony Cooke was his maternal grandfather.

He was a sickly child and was thus educated at home for a few years. He later went to study at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. There, Francis and his brother Anthony received personal training under the tutelage of Dr. John Whitgift.

Francis entered de societate magistrorum at Gray's Inn in 1576. Later, he travelled abroad and visited France, Italy, and Spain. He continued his education during his trips and also took up a few diplomatic tasks. His father died suddenly in 1579 and Francis had to return home.

Quotes: Books

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Career
In 1579, Francis Bacon took up his residence in law at Gray's Inn to support himself while looking for a better position. In 1581, he was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Bossiney, Cornwall, and the following year, he was admitted as an outer barrister.

He began his involvement in high politics in the mid-1580s when he wrote the political memorandum, A Letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth, in 1584. He was dissatisfied with the system of sciences prevalent during that time and wanted to formulate a new system emphasizing empirical methods. However, Queen Elizabeth wasn’t in favor of this.

His legal career thrived in the 1580s as did his political career. He was elected to a seat in Parliament for Melcombe in 1584. He was actively involved in the investigation of English Catholics and called for strict action against Mary, Queen of Scots.

He was a member of many committees, including the one to revise the laws of England. He became MP for Liverpool in 1588 and Middlesex in 1593. In the ensuing years, he represented Ipswich thrice and Cambridge University once.

In the 1590s, he was also engaged in numerous scholarly and literary pursuits besides his political career. He gained popularity as a liberal-minded reformer who opposed feudal privileges and dictatorial powers despite having good relations with the royalty.

In 1597, Queen Elizabeth reserved him as her legal counsel, making him the first Queen's Counsel designate. He also received a patent that gave him precedence at the bar. His professional relationship with the queen steadily improved over the years.

Queen Elizabeth died in 1603 and James I succeeded her to the throne of England. Francis Bacon earned the favors of James as well. Bacon was knighted in 1603 and made the solicitor general in 1607.

He finally bagged the coveted position of attorney general in 1613. He held much influence over the king, and this earned him several enemies in the court.

In 1617, he was appointed as temporary Regent of England, and the following year, he was created Baron Verulam, of Verulam, in the Peerage of England.

Continue Reading Below

Despite having a high-profile career, Francis Bacon struggled with financial woes and huge debts. He was then charged with 23 separate counts of corruption and sentenced to a fine of £40,000. The king pardoned his fine, but this disgrace ended his political career for good.

No longer burdened by political responsibilities, Francis Bacon devoted himself to philosophy and writing.

Quotes: Will

Major Works
Despite being disgraced as a politician, Francis Bacon held an influential position in society as a philosopher. He published the philosophical book, The Novum Organum, in 1620. This book played a key role in the historical development of the scientific method.

In his treatise on medicine, History of Life and Death, he wrote about natural and experimental ways of prolonging life. The book also contains his thoughts on old age and the causes of the degeneration of the body. This treatise was much celebrated in his lifetime.

The Novum Organum is a philosophical work by Francis Bacon published in 1620. The title is a reference to Aristotle's work Organon, which was his treatise on logic and syllogism, and is the second part of his Instauration