Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

"Knowledge is power."

Who was Francis Bacon? 

Francis Bacon was one of the most prominent figures in natural philosophy, as well as a notable politician. At the age of 18, his father died, leaving him poor, and opposition towards him by Queen Elizabeth I of England got his political career off to a rocky start. However, his tides turned when King James I came into power. Under James I, Bacon ascended the ranks, becoming Solicitor General in 1607, Attorney General in 1613, Lord Chancellor (the highest political office) in 1618, and being named Baron Verulam in 1618 as well. Bacon is now known for his idea of a modern research institution and inventing the scientific method, which involved collecting data and carrying out experiments.

Character-For the first time, I've run into someone who we could say has questionable character. Bacon's time as Lord Chancellor ended in 1621 when he was found guilty of accepting bribes, and he was banned from holding office anymore. Though he left politics in disgrace, there are still debates over whether his accepting gifts was all that bad, as it was standard during his time.

Rating: 5

Success-Much in the way of the scientific method and modern science is due to the works of Bacon. However, Bacon focused on the gathering of data (induction), and ignored the importance of the hypothesis, which is used today. From my searching, I don't see Bacon being considered as one of the top philosophers of all time, and while he spoke out for learning reform as a politician, it's hard to consider him successful when he left office in disgrace.

Rating: 6

Positive Contributions-Reviews are rather mixed on whether Bacon really contributed positively to the world. On the one hand, as I've said before, there are his contributions to modern science. On the other hand, his critics view him as the originator of using science to as exploitation, and means of imperialism.

Rating: 5

Impact-Bacon played a big role in England during his time. He wrote a great deal, he served in the government, and he contributed to science.

Rating: 8

TOTAL RATING: 5.6 (4th of 4)