Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III THE CHRISTIANOPOLIS AND FRANCIS BACON'S NEW ATLANTIS The story of the revolt against the Aristotelian method of arriving at conclusions, is one too often discussed to require lengthy repetition. Suffice to say that many scientists of the sixteenth century (among them especially Telesio Bernardino in Italy) were restive under the restrictions of the old system, and were striving, independently and in cooperation, to pave the way for a new philosophy of nature. Among those who fought most strongly against Aristotle and his teaching as it had passed down from his day, and one to whom the greatest credit has been given for overturning an old and instituting a new system of philosophy, is Francis Bacon. It would seem that he early conceived a dislike for Aristotle's system. If we can trust a statement from Dr. Rawley, which the latter says Bacon made to him in commenting upon his early student life, Bacon expressed this dissatisfaction as early as his sixteenth year when a student at Cambridge--namely, that at that time "he first fell into a dislike of the philosophy of Aristotle, on account of its unfruitfulness; it being a philosophy only strong for disputations and contentions, but barren of the production of works for the benefit of the life of man." 1 Bacon was born in i560. His father, Sir Nicholas Bacon, had been Lord Keeper of the Royal Seal, to which office Bacon also later attained. Francis Bacon entered Cam 1 Rawley's Life of Bacon, in Spedding, I, p. 4. bridge at twelve, and completed the regular course in the liberal arts. Being destined by his father for service to the state, he accompanied an embassy to France and spent some time at Calais. At his father's death he returned to England and studied law and political...
