“FRANCIS BACON”
            
            
             From the seventeenth century to the Age of Revolution, the shift from spiritual deference to secular or scientific fascination happened gradually. The new faith in man’s rational abilities led to a rise in secular feeling and a corresponding decline in God’s importance. Francis Bacon, among many other prominent figures in history, helped encourage this display of feelings.
             Francis Bacon was born in London in the year 1551 and died in 1626. He was a propogandizer for science, but himself, was not a scientist. He discussed in his writings many aspects in attaining scientific knowledge. Firstly, he felt the need to challenge the old text in order to make further progress. Secondly, he discussed how man is limited to what he observes. Finally, Bacon enumerated four classes of Idols, which hamper human understanding. Bacon’s proposals had a powerful influence on the development of science in seventeenth century Europe.
             Bacon had a strong rejection of Aristotelianism. He credited Aristotle’s theories to the era of that time, but vehemently attacked its usage in modern
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             Day science. Experience, he claimed, had an advantage over ancient authorities. As time progresses, certain truths get revealed that conflict with old findings. Introducing new concepts to fit in with old axioms would impede on the search for the truth. Instead of trying to fix the errors of the past to fit in with recent discoveries, we should start from scratch. Thus, he encouraged people to venture out on their own quest for wisdom. He placed great faith in man’s ability in the pursuit of knowledge. His beliefs were in sync with the creed of that time, which was the emphasis on man’s capabilities in understanding. We can see this in the fact that there is no mention of God in any of Bacon’s teachings. Spirituality played a minor role in h...