Aphorisms in Francis Bacon: Essays

Introduction to Aphorisms in Francis Bacon

The use of aphorisms in Francis Bacon makes his writing pithy and pragmatic, laving lasting impression of his writing in the literary realm.. Almost all of his essays included in the textbook are related to worldly wisdom be it truth that makes a person regarded highly for marriage that makes a person coward and lazy or superstitions that clearly state his own opinion of having no “opinion of God at all than” having a bad opinion such as superstitious (1668). Even more than these little quotes of worldly wisdom, he has cited the world’s greatest philosophers, thinkers, and saints to bring home his audience about his sagacity and pragmatic approach to worldly issues. In the same essay, he has cited Plutarch as his opinion about God and atheism. In the same way, in another essay “From the Advancement of Learning,” he has referred to several past personalities such as Erasmus. These are not just a few examples, he has referred to Greeks and other philosophers of his time too. Aphorisms in Francis Bacon in these essays not only comprise worldly wisdom, but also they are interpretations of human nature and elucidation of existing morality.

Worldly Wisdom in the Aphorisms in Francis Bacon

As far as the question of worldly wisdom is concerned, almost all the topics of the essays are clearly about the worldly wisdom that the readers would benefit from and lead a good life by using these practical points. It is because Ankit Tyagi says, he is a “citizen of the world,” the result is that he would be teaching the worldly wisdom that if a thing is worth seeing, it must be seen until it gives benefit to the seer (525). What he means is that if an object has no utility for a person in this world, it means, it must be shunned as Tyagi has further stated that “Bacon Judges everything from the utilitarian point of view.” (525). Even several of Bacon’s own words testify to his worldly wisdom that makes a person successful in this world and helps him build a career. For example, he considers wives and children as “impediments to great enterprises” (1664). If seen from the pragmatic purpose, it shows that the great people have always no children or only one or two children which show the wisdom of Bacon is a right. Walter R. Davis has also supported this view saying that his ideas for examinations as they are “provisional” or what is said to be used in the existing circumstances (Davis). It means that they are in accordance with the human nature.

Human Nature in Aphorisms in Francis Bacon

Bacon has a deep understanding of human nature which he interprets to tell aphorisms that have long-lasting importance. John Miller in his essay, “Pruning by Study: Self Cultivation in Bacon’s Essay” says that his essays are products of common “anxieties, concerns or socio-economic conditions” of his own time, the reason that they seem as interpretations of human nature (339). As a human being has a private as well as a public life that gives meaning to his life, Bacon, Miller says has divided life in these two parts and has  highlighted the second one that belongs to the public in which the relationship is “necessarily competitive” (342). Moreover, it is but natural for a man to go smoothly through this transition of private and public life which Bacon has amply highlighted in his writings. Bacon says in his essay “Of Great Place” that “Even reproofs from authority need to be grave” (1667). This clearly shows Miller’s point that it is an interpretation of human nature, for if it is not grave, the subordinates will either go unruly or become revengeful. That is why it seems an elucidation of temporal morality.

Aphorisms in Francis Bacon about Temporal Morality

Temporal morality here means the morality that exists at the time that is provisional and ends when the person wins success or the time passes. Lytton Strachey, a renowned British critic has commented on the essays of Bacon regarding his worldly wisdom and temporal morality. He says that he was religious as well as practical but his “philosophy was utilitarian and his deepest interests were fixed upon workings and the welfare of human society” (03). This clearly means that Strachey thinks him showing the “spirit of the age” which is the same as temporal morality which means confirming the morality prevailing at that time and not of the universal one (03). That is why William Sessions has called his essays as “Dispersed Meditations” or visible signs of good knowledge that work at the time when it is needed the most (22) due to aphorisms in Francis Bacon.

Conclusion

In short, Bacon’s essays serve the purpose of showing a true and practical path to the reader that wins only success and nothing else. It is because these short and pithy sentences are fullyof worldly wisdom, teaching the readers of “Preserve the right of thy place” (1667). It is because these short worldly pearls of wisdom are close to human nature. Bacon understands human nature and interprets it according to the spirit of the time. That is why he is considered as elucidating the spirit of that morality of that time. Hence, to say that Bacon reflects the pragmatism of that time is not wrong.

Works Cited

1. Bacon, Francis Sir. “From Essays.” From The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Gen. ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. Vol. F. New York: Norton, 2012. 1662-1689. Print.
2. Davis, Walter R. “Francis Bacon: Overview.” Reference Guide to English Literature, edited by D. L. Kirkpatrick, 2nd ed., St. James Press, 1991. Literature Resource Center, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=txshracd2512&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420009027&it=r&asid=8996bf137d4b34c95c57772e2e7b6987. Accessed 28 Oct. 2022.
3. Miller, John J. “`Pruning by Study’: Self-Cultivation in Bacon’s Essays.” Papers on Language & Literature, vol. 31, no. 4, Fall95, p. 339. EBSCOhost, libaccess.hccs.edu:443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9512121382&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
4. Strachey, Lytton. “Bacon as a Man of Letters.” Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800, edited by James E. Person, Jr., vol. 18, Gale, 1992. Literature Resource Center, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=txshracd2512&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH1420009031&it=r&asid=e1b32ec0c485c59cca9c99a1516e4cb7. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017. Originally published in Spectatorial Essays, by Lytton Strachey, Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1965, pp. 82-87.
5. Sessions, William A. “The Essays: Reading Them as “Dispersed Meditacions”.” Francis Bacon Revisited, Twayne Publishers, 1996, pp. 21-56. Twayne’s English Authors Series 523. Twayne’s Authors Series, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=txshracd2512&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX1590800014&it=r&asid=254d4ab4af5b3a84bcd8e218b160934f. Accessed 28 Oct. 2022.
6. Tyagi, Ankit. “Francis Bacon’s Philosophy of Life and Morality.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Translation Studies, vol. 2. no. 3 (2015): 524-527.

Relevant Questions about Aphorisms in Francis Bacon

1. How do Francis Bacon’s aphorisms in his works, such as “Essays,” serve as a means to distill complex philosophical ideas into concise, memorable statements, and what impact do they have on the reader’s understanding of his philosophy?
2. Can you provide examples of specific aphorisms in Francis Bacon’s writings that offer insights into his views on knowledge, science, and human nature, and how do these aphorisms contribute to our appreciation of his contributions to these fields?
3. In what ways do Francis Bacon’s aphorisms exemplify his approach to empiricism and the scientific method, and how do they function as tools for critical thinking and the advancement of human knowledge in the early modern period?