Francis Bacon's 'OF ESSAYS'

Bacon's philosophical approach to Nature was sounded early in the 'Advancement of Learning'. It shadowed out the lines of his proposed reform of philosophical thought, and showed the direction of his ideas and hopes. In the second book of the 'Advancement', Bacon observed. 'The parts of human learning have reference to the three parts of man's understanding, which is the seat of learning, history to his memory, poesy to his imagination, and philosophy to his reason.' Bacon was chiefly concerned with the last mentioned item that is, philosophy which he subdivided into Divine Philosophy, Natural Philosophy, and Human Philosophy, for all things are 'stamped with this triple character of the poser of God; the difference of nature, and the use of man.' Bacon's most important thoughts concern natural philosophy. Although he was not a philosopher in the accepted sense of the term. Hence, we should not look for any systematic discussions in his writings, as we find in those of Kant and Hegel. Bacon stood for the possession of knowledge and had taken the whole of nature as the object of his study. He emphasized the significance of a critical analysis of experience and the facts of life.