Francis Bacon

1993/03/01 Azkune Mendia, Iñaki - Elhuyar Fundazioa Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biografiak

This English philosopher was the son of politician Nicolas Bacon. Born in London on January 22, 1561, he lived successfully in the court of the king as his father. In court he showed great skill, always being in the winning team.

He studied law at Cambrigde and began working in 1576. He made a season in Paris with the English ambassador and returned from France when his father died in 1579. In 1584 he entered the Parliament of England and around 1591 worked under the orders of Robert Devreux (Count of Essex and favorite advisor to Queen Elizabeth). In 1601, however, he was a judge in the lawsuit that declared the Count of Essex a traitor and, upon the death of the Earl, stayed with the gaze of Queen Elizabeth in Bacon.

Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, but by then she had already conquered King James I, especially thanks to the help of the Duke of Buckingham. He was attorney general in 1607 and chancellor in 1618. He got these and other charges with gifts to the authorities and undoubtedly entered the dirty work that was useful to him.

In 1621 he was appointed Viscount of St. Albans and, when his reputation was up to date, he was accused of judicial corruption. Bacon took gifts at the trial to support the regalists. The evidence was very clear, so he was condemned, but the penalty was not very strict because the king supported him. However, Bacon ran out of political future and wrote his most interesting works until his death.

Despite his enormous lack of honesty as a person, he used his knowledge and power to give respect and honor to experimental science. He managed to fashion the experimental sciences among the English knights.

Between 1608 and 1620 he produced his main work Novum Organum, where he presented the scientific method. In Instauratio Magna he develops a plan of organization of sciences, in addition to other minor philosophical works.

He argued that reasoning could serve mathematics, but not science. In Bacon's view, the laws of science must have been generalized through numerous specific trials. Nature could only be overcome by obeying nature and through trial man became an interpreter of nature. In addition, it indicated that trials should be carried out rationally and methodically.

Francis Bacon died in his hometown of London on 9 April 1626.