Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, and essayist, often called the 'Father of the Scientific Method' and of modern empiricism. His insistence that knowledge should be built on careful observation and experiment, rather than inherited authority, helped launch the Scientific Revolution.
In works such as the Novum Organum, Bacon argued for a new method of understanding nature through systematic observation and inductive reasoning — the foundation of the modern experimental sciences. His famous Essays, on subjects from truth and studies to friendship and ambition, are masterpieces of compact, worldly wisdom. He also imagined a scientific utopia in New Atlantis.
A brilliant and ambitious man, Bacon rose to become Lord Chancellor of England before falling from office. His vision of knowledge as power to improve human life shaped the modern world.
His prose is dense but rich with memorable phrases. Our editions present his ideas clearly. Read a selection free, and read or listen with a membership.
Francis Bacon in the library · 2 works
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The Advancement of Learning
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Frequently asked questions about Francis Bacon
What did Francis Bacon write?
Bacon's major works include the Novum Organum, setting out his scientific method; The Advancement of Learning; the utopian New Atlantis; and his celebrated Essays, on a wide range of practical and moral subjects. His Essays are his most widely read work, while the Novum Organum is his most historically important.
Why is Bacon called the father of the scientific method?
Bacon argued that real knowledge of nature comes from careful, systematic observation and experiment, and from reasoning upward from evidence, rather than from ancient authority or pure logic. This inductive, evidence-based approach became a cornerstone of modern science. His vision helped inspire the founding of scientific institutions like the Royal Society.
What are Bacon's Essays?
Bacon's Essays are short, pithy reflections on subjects such as truth, death, studies, friendship, ambition, and fortune, packed with memorable, quotable observations about human life and conduct. Modelled loosely on Montaigne but more compact and worldly, they are among the finest essays in English. Many of their lines, like 'knowledge is power,' have become proverbial.
Where should I start with Francis Bacon?
Start with the Essays, which are short, wise, and full of quotable insight, making them the most accessible entry to his mind. For his scientific vision, New Atlantis is a short and readable introduction. His more systematic philosophy, in the Novum Organum, is best approached afterward.
Is Francis Bacon the same as the painter?
No — this is a common mix-up. The philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon (1561-1626) is a completely different person from the 20th-century painter of the same name. There has also been a long-running fringe theory that Bacon secretly wrote Shakespeare's plays, but this is not accepted by mainstream scholars.
When did Francis Bacon live?
Bacon lived from 1561 to 1626, during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. He had a distinguished and turbulent political career, rising to Lord Chancellor before a fall from office, while producing his influential philosophical and literary works. He died in 1626, reputedly after an experiment on preserving meat with snow.
Where can I read Francis Bacon for free?
Bacon's works are in the public domain and freely available. His original prose is dense and formal. Here you can read a selection free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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