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beacon lights of history-iii-2-第60章

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progress in science; the way to it being indicated by him pre…

eminently?



The whole thing consists in this; that Bacon pointed out the right

road to truth;as a board where two roads meet or diverge

indicates the one which is to be followed。  He did not make a

system; like Descartes or Spinoza or Newton: he showed the way to

make it on sound principles。  〃He laid down a systematic analysis

and arrangement of inductive evidence。〃  The syllogism; the great

instrument used by Aristotle and the Schoolmen; 〃is; from its very

nature; incompetent to prove the ultimate premises from which it

proceeds; and when the truth of these remains doubtful; we can

place no confidence in the conclusions drawn from them。〃  Hence;

the first step in the reform of science is to review its ultimate

principles; and the first condition of a scientific method is that

it shall be competent to conduct such an inquiry; and this method

is applicable; not to physical science merely; but to the whole

realm of knowledge。  This; of course; includes poetry; art;

intellectual philosophy; and theology; as well as geology and

chemistry。



And it is this breadth of inquirydirected to subjective as well

as objective knowledgewhich made Bacon so great a benefactor。

The defect in Macaulay's criticism is that he makes Bacon

interested in mere outward phenomena; or matters of practical

utility;a worldly utilitarian of whom Epicureans may be proud。

In reality he soared to the realm of Plato as well as of Aristotle。

Take; for instance; his Idola Mentis Humanae; or 〃Phantoms of the

Human Mind;〃 which compose the best…known part of the 〃Novum

Organum。〃  〃The Idols of the Tribe〃 would show the folly of

attempting to penetrate further than the limits of the human

faculties permit; as also 〃the liability of the intellect to be

warped by the will and affections; and the like。〃  The 〃Idols of

the Den〃 have reference to 〃the tendency to notice differences

rather than resemblances; or resemblances rather than differences;

in the attachment to antiquity or novelty; in the partiality to

minute or comprehensive investigations。〃  〃The Idols of the Market…

Place〃 have reference to the tendency to confound words with

things; which has ever marked controversialists in their learned

disputatious。  In what he here says about the necessity for

accurate definitions; he reminds us of Socrates rather than a

modern scientist; this necessity for accuracy applies to

metaphysics as much as it does to physics。  〃The Idols of the

Theatre〃 have reference to perverse laws of demonstration which are

the strongholds of error。  This school deals in speculations and

experiments confined to a narrow compass; like those of the

alchemists;too imperfect to elicit the light which should guide。



Bacon having completed his discussion of the Idola; then proceeds;

to point out the weakness of the old philosophies; which produced

leaves rather than fruit; and were stationary in their character。

Here he would seem to lean towards utilitarianism; were it not that

he is as severe on men of experiment as on men of dogma。  〃The men

of experiment are;〃 says he; 〃like ants;they only collect and

use; the reasoners resemble spiders; who make cobwebs out of their

own substance。  But the bee takes a middle course; it gathers the

material from the flowers; but digests it by a power of its own。 。 。 。

So true philosophy neither chiefly relies on the powers of the

mind; nor takes the matter which it gathers and lays it up in the

memory; whole as it finds it; but lays it up in the understanding;

to be transformed and digested。〃  Here he simply points out the

laws by which true knowledge is to be attained。  He does not extol

physical science alone; though doubtless he had a preference for it

over metaphysical inquiries。  He was an Englishman; and the English

mind is objective rather than subjective; and is prone to over…

value the outward and the seen; above the inward and unseen; and

perhaps for the same reason that the Old Testament seems to make

prosperity the greatest blessing; while adversity seems to he the

blessing of the New Testament。



One of Bacon's longest works is the 〃Silva Sylvarum;〃a sort of

natural history; in which he treats of the various forces and

productions of Nature;the air the sea; the winds; the clouds;

plants and animals; fire and water; sounds and discords; colors and

smells; heat and cold; disease and health; but which varied

subjects he presents to communicate knowledge; with no especial

utilitarian end。



〃The Advancement of Learning〃 is one of Bacon's most famous

productions; but I fail to see in it an objective purpose to enable

men to become powerful or rich or comfortable; it is rather an

abstract treatise; as dry to most people as legal disquisitions;

and with no more reference to rising in the world than

〃Blackstone's Commentaries〃 or 〃Coke upon Littleton。〃  It is a

profound dissertation on the excellence of learning; its great

divisions treating of history; poetry; and philosophy;of

metaphysical as well as physical philosophy; of the province of

understanding; the memory; the will; the reason; and the

imagination; and of man in society;of government; of universal

justice; of the fountains of law; of revealed religion。



And if we turn from the new method by which he would advance all

knowledge; and on which his fame as a philosopher chiefly rests;

that method which has led to discoveries that even Bacon never

dreamed of; not thinking of the fruit he was to bestow; but only

the way to secure it;even as a great inventor thinks more of his

invention than of the money he himself may reap from it; as a work

of creation to benefit the world rather than his own family; and in

the work of which his mind revels in a sort of intoxicated delight;

like a true poet when he constructs his lines; or a great artist

when he paints his picture;a pure subjective joy; not an

anticipated gain;if we turn from this 〃method〃 to most of his

other writings; what do we find?  Simply the lucubrations of a man

of letters; the moral wisdom of the moralist; the historian; the

biographer; the essayist。  In these writings we discover no more

worldliness than in Macaulay when he wrote his 〃Milton;〃 or Carlyle

when he penned his 〃Burns;〃even less; for Bacon did not write to

gain a living; but to please himself and give vent to his burning

thoughts。  In these he had no worldly aim to reach; except perhaps

an imperishable fame。  He wrote as Michael Angelo sculptured his

Moses; and he wrote not merely amid the cares and duties of a great

public office; with other labors which might be called Herculean;

but even amid pains of disease and the infirmities of age;when

rest; to most people; is the greatest boon and solace of their

lives。



Take his Essays;these are among his best…known works;so

brilliant and forcible; suggestive and rich; that even Archbishop

Whately's commentaries upon them are scarcely an addition。  Surely

these are not on material subjects; and indicate anything but a

worldly or sordid nature。  In these famous Essays; so luminous with

the gems of genius; we read not such worldly…wise exhortations as

Lord Chesterfield impressed upon his son; not the gossiping

frivolities of Horace Walpole; not the cynical wit of Montaigne;

but those great certitudes which console in affliction; which

kindle hope; which inspire lofty resolutions;anchors of the soul;

pillars of faith; sources of immeasurable joy; the glorious ideals

of true objects of desire; the eternal unities of truth and love

and beauty; all of which reveal the varied experiences of life and

the riches of deeply…pondered meditation on God and Christianity;

as well as knowledge of the world and the desirableness of its

valued gifts。  How beautiful are his thoughts on death; on

adversity; on glory; on anger; on friendship; on fame; on ambition;

on envy; on riches; on youth and old age; and divers other subjects

of moral import; which show the elevation of his soul; and the

subjective as well as the objective turn of his mind; not dwelling

on what he should eat and what he should drink and wherewithal he

should be clothed; but on the truths which appeal to our higher

nature; and which raise the thoughts of men from earth to heaven;

or at least to the realms of intellectual life and joy。



And then; it is necessary that we should take in view other labors

which dignified Bacon's retirement; as well as those which marked

his more active career as a lawyer and statesman;his histories

and biographies; as well as learned treatises to improve the laws

of England; his political discourses; his judicial charges; his

theological tracts; his speeches and letters and prayers; all of

which had relation to benefit others rather than himself。  Who has

ever done more to instruct the world;to enable men to rise not in

fortune merely; but in virtue and patriotism; 
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