Knowledge is Power: How Magic, the Government and an Apocalyptic Vision Inspired Francis Bacon to Create Modern Science

Icon Science

by John Henry

John Henry gives a dramatic account of the background to Bacon's innovations and the sometimes unconventional sources for his ideas.

Genres: Science, History, Philosophy, Nonfiction, History Of Science, Biography, British Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jrobertus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book and a must read for scientists. Francis Bacon had a colorful life as a diplomat, coutier, religious philosopher, but is most noted as the father of modern experimental science. This book is so important because is puts that latter role into sharp, clear, historical context. Bacon was not a modern scientist, nor were his beliefs modern; they were a product of his time. Bacon never made any scientific discoveries or formulated any particular laws, like a Newton or Galileo, but he was the main Western architect of the METHOD, using experiments in the world to inform “natural Philosophy”. The main influence for this notion was the practice in the early modern period was magic. Natural philosophy of the time was a lot of Aristotelian speculation and hot air. Magic was predicated on the idea that elements of God’s natural world had inherent sympathies and antipathies with one another and their proper correspondences along the Great Chain of Being led to natural changes. (In a sense this is not far off from what we think today when we say, for example, that methane has an affinity for oxygen and changes to carbon dioxide.) Bacon felt the experimental nature of magic could reveal the true nature of the cosmos and worked to bring a systematic, orderly practice of experiment from magic into the world of natural philosophy -- in essence to create the scientific method. (The Arab scientist al Hakim had the same idea hundreds of years earlier, but there you go.) The author, Henry, is at pains to show that these older magical ideas might be wrong, but they are not totally irrational. They followed logically from the thinking and beliefs of the time, which was steeped to the brim in religion from which a mind could barely escape. The job of the magician was to find the hidden correspondences and sympathies so the information could be used to affect change, Bacon hoped, for the improvement of mankind. The magician could not make changes, only find the way God had designed things and make use of that. Henry makes some interesting points about these 16th century magicians and the idea they might be agents of the devil. At this time it was not thought the devil had supernatural powers, he was an inferior creature and could not break God’s laws he only had a deep knowledge of the natural affinities. A magician might summon a devil to take a short cut through the arduous path of discovery and was thereby in danger of losing his soul, but he could not summon supernatural power. This notion of summoning the dark forces which had supernatural power, was a LATER idea, say 17th and 18th century and continues into modern horror movies. An important aspect of this marvelous book is to show the depth of religious influence on all forms of thought. He points out that if you were taught from day one that the words of the priest could change water and bread into the body and blood of Christ then why couldn’t the words of a magician affect changes in the world. Words could bring about “correspondences”. Today we think of modern science as totally secular and at odds with any taint of the supernatural, but it was a hard slog to break from those ancient habits. Newton, for example, never really did! Bacon felt that acquiring knowledge, reclaiming the Adamic knowledge lost in the fall, was a requisite for the end of days, which was a big millennial topic in his time. Bacon’s model for the aquisiotion of knowledge entailed the objective accumulation of facts without an underlying philosophy to color those facts. This model was never really used by practicing scientists, but the role of objectivity is still a goal and foundation of modern science. One can argue that Bacon was not all he is often cracked up to be by modern standards, but he is widely accepted as the figurehead around which nonsectarian, non religious science is centered – we need to mark history with key figures and he is one.

[Bertrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've finished The Age of Genius: The Seventeenth Century and the Birth of the Modern Mind not long ago, where Grayling discusses the sometimes vexed question of the relationship between religion and the emergence of modern science, with particular attention given to heterodox religion, which he calls 'occultism'. Grayling's book is good-much more general than this one-but he is sometimes predictably skeptical when it comes to religion and dogmatic when it comes to science: I was after a divergent opinion, and that's very much what this book provides.
Henry teaches history of science in Edinburgh, and argues, contra Grayling, that science and 'the occult' were inextricably related - in fact, that modern scientific experimentalism arises from natural magic. I put 'the occult' in scare-quotes because that's Grayling's term, too encompassing and vague to really do justice to this field and period, one which Henry duly avoids.
The book is very short and intended for a popular audience, meaning we do not get into the details of Bacon's life, no in those of the period he lived in. Instead the focus is on a few sources which Henry take to be central in the formation of Bacon's thought, and which run somewhat against the grain of traditional (pre-60s, really) history of the scientific revolution as secularisation. None of those sources (personal devotion, milleniarism, utopianism, etc.) is really explored in any depth, although the author does offer us some choice extracts from the works of Bacon to illustrate them. The one source that gets more attention is 'natural magic', which Henry describes at some length, insisting that magic was, at least by the Renaissance, never concerned with the supernatural, but rather with achieving material ends by the combination of natural elements - on other words, magic was pre-modern instrumental science. It was a science however rooted in a specific worldview, the great chain of being, and assuming 'correspondances' between different realms, and 'signatures' within things material. This would be where Bacon got both his insistence on material improvement as the ultimate purpose of science, and examples of the experimental method which he proceeded to formalize.
This is a credible account, although for example, Henry's claims as to Bacon's millenarian beliefs are largely undocumented. His description of late Renaissance magic is credibly supported by quotation, but I found, maybe because of the format, that he was overly keen on 'secularising' magic, much like, say, Grayling was keen to secularise science. At this point what I would like to find is an accessible book that focus on the religious views at play during the scientific revolution.

[Jamie Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a few amazing nuggets of information. Prior to reading, I vaguely knew who Francis Bacon was - that he was considered the founder of the scientific method and that many atheist's believe he is one of their own. These concepts are only half true. First, Bacon didn't really create the scientific method. He borrowed it, rather surprisingly, from the magic tradition. He believed that the current natural philosophy being taught in universities across Europe was false because it came to its beliefs first and then tried to seek evidence for its claims. Bacon instead wanted to follow the magic tradition of searching for the natural properties of things and only then trying to forma coherent theory of their workings. Indeed, while Bacon did subscribe to a specific worldview, he never tried to promote this, instead believing that each individual should look at the evidence and draw their own conclusions, through rational investigation, rather than subscribing to any one dogma.

Another interesting element was that he believed that advances in natural philosophy should be used for the good of humankind. Rather than the wispy knowledge of ancient philosophers or the nit-picking of logicians, Bacon understood that the natural world could be utilised to improve the lot of humankind.

Overall, an interesting book. It seems like the image of Bacon has been corrupted. He was clearly a man of God and would have been shocked that science is often held up as a defender of atheism.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good history of Bacon’s contributions to science, the influences on his thinking and how it developed, and why he remains influential. The connection with magic, the empirical field of practical knowledge as opposed to natural philosophy which was deductive, abstract, and largely rooted in theology and classical philosophy, was particularly interesting.

[Rocky Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one I will definitely need to come back to. Natural magic seems to have played an incredibly important role in the development of modern science. I hope to dive deeper into this to rekindle the good parts of natural philosophy once again. We seem to have misunderstood Bacon, because he was attempting to synthesize Natural magic and Natural Philosophy. He wasn’t trying to destroy Natural Philosphy in its entirety.

This book was fantastic and I recommend to any learning the philosphy of science.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little gem of a book from author John Henry about the significance to the development of the scientific method of Francis Bacon. For those who are critical of this concise volume this is NOT a biography of Bacon and, yes, it is intended for a popular audience ( shock horror. ). There are of course biographical details as they relate to Bacon's evolution of thought about developing elements of what we recognise as the scientific method. Also details of contemporary Elizabethan society as it influenced Bacon's evolution and most interestingly the role of 'magic' and the occult on him.

It would be fair to say that the prose is quite dry. I don't mind that so much, I'm often irritated by the deliberately dumbed down prose full of contemporary slang or attitude that authors adopt in the desperate attempt to appeal to the non specialist reader: plain prose is fine, give people credit for heck's sake. I'd advise if you're truly interested in the development of science in western culture this is worth reading but if you want a biography of F. Bacon this is not it, and it doesn't try to be. As a bonus the Icon Books edition is a very nice presentation - good paper and nice type set. 4 stars

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful introduction to Francis Bacon. It is also a wonderful introduction to how to approach the history of science historically. Consider the question of Bacon's inductive method, which is usually criticized as simplistic. Henry does not deny those judgments, but asks how Bacon's argument that scientists should gather data without theoretical preconceptions was so popular in the seventeenth century. Henry asks these kinds of questions throughout this book. His writing is lively and this was a very easy book to read.

[Paul De Belder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really clear explanation of Bacon’s philosophy in its historical context. Interesting how “natural magic” influenced both Bacon’s theories and the development of science, or “natural philosophy”. Bacon made it respectable for natural philosophers to get their hands dirty on experiments, rather than just staying in their armchairs, thinking profound thoughts.

It get’s me thinking of trying to continue my reading of “Novum Organum”, given up a few years ago...

[Cyrus Nelsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was kind of trash... the lack of references and well thought out organization made it read, at times, like a high school paper. I did gain some good information though which adds to the idea that Francis Bacon was a practicioner of the mystery religions as well as rosecrutionist, even though the author states it's a fantasy philosophy.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short (my copy is 202 pages!) and lucid introduction to Francis Bacon and the scientific method he pioneered. It is really good in situating Bacon' knowledge and achievements in the context of his times and explaining how the definition of magic has changed markedly since the 17th century.

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like an informal historical paper on the social history of Baconism and the intellectual landscape at that time. This book seems like an easy read for those who are starting to get themselves interested in the social history of sciences.

[Shaddaad 'Abd 'An-Nahl Mas'oud]

Haven't completed book, stagnated.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a Bacon scholar but I thoroughly enjoyed this popular level account of his relationship to magic and religion.

[Norm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting subject and a book with some good details, but very tiring writing style. Was a struggle to finish it.

[Ian Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER By John Henry – An Icon book from Allen and Unwin
Review by Ian Smith
I hadn’t checked the notes on the author on one of the front pages, I delved straight into the book, so keen was I to learn more about Bacon, as in Francis. However, I was only a few pages in when I surmised this was a book written by a university professor, the giveaways being use of words I’d never heard of and waffle, lots of it. On page 40, may I quote, “There was, for example, the New Abecedarium of Nature (1622), which he saw as an indication of how to apply the methods and procedures described in the methodological part of the Great Instauration (in the New Organon) to the information in the natural histories.” Now, I’m sure some of you may well know exactly what that means but, I’m sorry, I have next to no idea and two words even flummoxed google.
There are snippets of the life and times he lived in and how they influenced Francis Bacon’s career which I found enjoyable.
There are certain sources which Henry alludes to be central in the formation of Bacon's thought processes which are at odds with traditional history of the scientific revolution as secularisation. None of those sources, such as personal devotion, millenarianism and utopianism for example, are really explored in any depth, extracts aside. There is much writ about natural magic, which Henry describes at some length, believing that magic was never really involved with the supernatural, but rather with achieving material ends by the combination of natural elements – put simply, magic was pre-modern instrumental science.
I’ve read somewhere that it’s an “easy read”; I beg to differ. Unless you’re studying the subject or extremely literate, I’d boldly suggest the general public will struggle with this. I certainly did, though John Henry’s knowledge of the subject appears vast and informed. One for those keen for more knowledge on Francis Bacon’s views.

[Daniel Ragsdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book intrigued and fascinated me. The British author provides an excellent and accessible summary of the great contributions to science and philosophy that Bacon over the course of his life. His desire to pursue all possible knowledge about the physical world by employing a vast bureaucracy of civil servants was,of course, both overly ambitious and some what misguided. Never-the-less, I can conceive of another soul who did more to advance the development of natural philosophy (later, simply, the sciences).

[Gareth]

A great little book. Gives a neat overview of Bacon's life and thought, and is not afraid to make a clear, positive link with the 'irrational' - namely, Bacon's indebtedness to contemporary views on 'natural magic' and millenarianism.

Gareth Southwell is a philosopher, writer and illustrator.

[Jrobertus]

a slim volume about the 16th century philosopher frances bacon, often thought of as the inventor of modern science. i was interested in the role of magic, religion, and especially alchemy in the development of modern science

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

underwhelming but tbh I don't like early modern history so I'm biased toward indifference anyway with this subject