Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, was the most important essayist and philosopher during the British Renaissance. He not only made many achievements in literature and philosophy, but also made significant achievements in the field of natural science. Bacon was a son of an aristocrat who had experienced many hardships. His complex and changeable life experiences had enriched his experience. As a result, his thoughts were mature, his speech was profound, and he was rich in philosophy. His entire worldview is secular rather than religious (although he firmly believes in God). He was a rationalist rather than a worshiper of superstition, an empiricist rather than a sophist; politically he was a realist rather than a theoretician. He once said: "Knowledge is power."

Let's take a look at Bacon's reading quotes.

1. Reading can give people pleasure, elegance and ability.

2. Reading is not to argue, nor to blindly follow, nor to find information for conversation, but to weigh and think.

3. Some books only need to be tasted briefly, some books can be devoured, and some books should be chewed and digested slowly.

4. Reading makes a person profound, debating makes a person alert, and writing makes a person sophisticated.

5. Reading can eradicate all psychological obstacles, just as appropriate exercise can correct certain physical diseases.

6. Reading makes people enriched; talking makes people agile; writing and note-taking make people precise. History makes people wise; poetry makes people clever; mathematics makes people precise; natural history makes people profound; ethics makes people solemn; logic and rhetoric make people eloquent.

7. Reading makes up for the deficiencies in nature, and experience makes up for the deficiencies in reading. Reading is enough for pleasure, enough for learning, and enough for developing talents.

8. Some books can be tasted, some can be swallowed, and a few books should be chewed and digested.

9. Reading is about cultivating a complete personality.

10. Books are ships crossing the sea of ??time (Bacon)

11. Putting a book in the hands of an ignorant person is like putting a sword in the hands of an urchin. It's so dangerous in the hand.

12. Books are ships of thought sailing in the waves of the times. They carefully transport precious cargo to one generation after another.

Extended reading: Francis Bacon’s life experience

Francis Bacon (Francis Bacon, 1561-1626) was born in London in 1561 into an official family. His father, Nicholas Bacon, was Queen Elizabeth's Lord Seal, who studied law at Cambridge University, was progressive in his thinking, believed in the Church of England, and opposed the Pope's interference in British internal affairs; his mother, Anne Bacon, was a well-known talented woman who was proficient in Greek and Latin. Is a believer in Calvinism. A good family education enabled Bacon to show unusual intelligence in all aspects.

In 1573, Bacon, who was only 12 years old, was sent to Trinity College of Cambridge University for further study. His studies at the university made him doubt traditional concepts and beliefs, and he began to think about the true meaning of society and life alone. Three years later, Bacon lived in Paris, France, as an attaché to the British Ambassador to France. In just two and a half years, he traveled almost throughout France, which exposed him to many new things, absorbed many new ideas, and had a great impact on the transformation of his worldview.

In 1579, his father died suddenly of illness. His plan to support Bacon in the future was shattered, and Bacon had to return to London. As his life began to fall into poverty, after returning home to attend the funeral, Bacon entered Gray Law School, studying law while looking for jobs.

In 1582, the 21-year-old Bacon obtained the qualification of a lawyer. At this time, Bacon was more mature in thought. He was determined to reform all knowledge that was divorced from reality and nature, and to introduce experience and practice. Epistemology. This was his great ambition to "revival science" and the ambition he fought for throughout his life.

In 1584, at the age of 23, he was elected as a member of Parliament.

In 1589, he became the clerk of the court after a vacancy. However, this position was not vacant for 20 years. He traveled around but never got any position.

In 1602, Elizabeth died and James I succeeded to the throne. Because Bacon had advocated the union of Scotland and England, he was greatly appreciated by James. As a result, Bacon's career has skyrocketed. He was knighted in 1602, appointed as an adviser to James in 1604, deputy attorney general in 1607, chief prosecutor in 1613, and Privy Councilor in 1616. Advisor, he was promoted to Lord Privy Seal in 1617, to Continental Officer in England in 1618, and was created Baron Verulan, and in 1621 Viscount Albans. But Bacon's talents and interests were not in state affairs, but in the search for scientific truth. During this period, he achieved great results in academic research. And published many books.

In 1621, Bacon was accused of corruption and bribery by Parliament. He was fined 40,000 pounds by the High Court, imprisoned in the Tower of London, expelled from the palace for life, and prohibited from holding any parliamentary or official positions.

Although the fine and imprisonment were later waived, Bacon's reputation was ruined. From then on, Bacon stopped dealing with political affairs and began to concentrate on theoretical writings.

In 1626, at the end of March, Bacon drove through the northern suburbs of London. At that time, he was concentrating on the study of hot and cold theory and its practical applications. When passing by a snowy field, he suddenly wanted to conduct an experiment. He killed a chicken and stuffed the chicken belly with snow to observe the effect of freezing on preservation. However, due to his weak body and unable to withstand the invasion of wind and cold, the bronchitis recurred and his condition worsened, and he died of illness in the early morning of April 9, 1626.