Bacon's paper "Knowledge is Power" (1) Francis Bacon (Francis Bacon,156165438+1October 22nd-65438+April 9th, 20626), a modern British materialist philosopher, thinker and scientist.
Bacon put forward many philosophical thoughts, which had a far-reaching impact on later generations. Such as the four illusions, the racial illusion, the cave illusion, the market illusion and the market illusion. Humanism thought, in the Middle Ages of Europe, theology and scholasticism dominated, belittled the value of human beings, and preached that nature and human beings were purposefully created and arranged by God, and they should face heaven and the afterlife. In view of this belief and obscurantism, Bacon put forward the goal of studying and explaining nature and man, and discussed the position and role of man in the kingdom of man and nature. On the relationship between man and nature, Bacon first affirmed that "man is the minister and interpreter of nature". According to the theory of total welfare, individual goodness is an integral part of public goodness, which is higher than individual goodness and public welfare is higher than individual welfare. This is his "total welfare theory". In addition, the slogan "knowledge is power", which has been circulating for centuries, was also put forward by Bacon, leaving the world with a bright light of wisdom and laying a deep foundation.
The slogan "knowledge is power" was put forward in the face of the religious-church authority and dogmatic thinking at that time; Academic-Aristotle's philosophical thought has been regarded as the golden rule for thousands of years, and it was put forward under the background of science-conformism and experimentalism. This resounding slogan made the concept of academic value lay an important foundation for the progress of human science, and Bacon also became the representative of the spirit of the 16th century. During this period, Bacon not only talked empty talk, but also devoted himself to studying the influence of knowledge on life problems, people's cultivation, beliefs and destiny. It is also enough to prove Bacon's "power of knowledge".
The simple but powerful slogan that knowledge is power resounds all over the world. Besides, this slogan plays a great role in science and society. The application of knowledge in science. Another important idea in Bacon's view of science is the theory of scientific classification. Before Bacon, Aristotle's classification of science was always followed, that is, science was divided into theoretical philosophy, practical philosophy and creative philosophy. Theoretical philosophy is a science about pure cognition, including metaphysics, mathematics and physics. Practical philosophy is a science about human behavior norms, including politics, economy and ethics; Creative philosophy is a science that studies how to seek benefits and happiness for people, including skills, literature, art and aesthetics. This is the earliest scientific classification theory in history, but this classification has separated the internal relations of science.
Based on the idea that science is a unified knowledge system. He believes that science should be divided according to people's spiritual ability. People's spiritual ability can be divided into memory, imagination and rationality, and science can also be divided into history, poetry and philosophy accordingly.
According to its own scientific classification principle, it has also established a huge knowledge system structure. Philosophy is a science that Bacon is most concerned about. He believes that human reason can go deep into the spirit, observe nature and reflect on itself, so philosophy can be divided into three types according to the direction of rational research. Natural theology, natural philosophy and human philosophy. Because these three philosophies all come from the same source, and they also have some observation materials and axioms, there must be a more universal and fundamental first philosophy as the "grandfather" of all sciences. In bacon's view, the first philosophy refers to the science that takes the study of axioms as the starting point of all arguments. Axioms such as geometry and logic are the problems to be discussed in the first philosophy.
Bacon believes that natural theology is knowledge about God, but this knowledge comes not from the revelation of God, but from perceptual observation and rational thinking of nature. He believes that knowledge gained through observation and thinking cannot prove the truth about faith, so natural theology is not enough to establish religion and make people reach faith. It only provides information about nature to refute atheism. The question of faith should be left to "apocalyptic theology". Natural philosophy is divided into two parts: theory and practice. The theoretical part, namely "natural science of observation", is the research reason; The practical part, that is, "practical natural technology", produces results. The theoretical part is divided into physics and metaphysics. Physics studies the changes and relative causes of things; Metaphysics studies the absolute reasons why things are fixed. The practice part can be divided into two parts according to the different theoretical sources: mechanics comes from physics and illusion comes from metaphysics. Human philosophy is also divided into two parts, namely, about human individuals and about human groups. The former studies human body and mind and their interrelationships, including medicine, cosmetology, kinematics and the art of pleasure. The latter, also known as political philosophy, studies the social and political behavior of human groups, which can be divided into "wisdom of behavior", "wisdom of doing things" and "wisdom of national politics" according to social interaction, handling affairs and politics.
Bacon also put forward specific measures and methods to promote the prosperity of science. These include:
(1) Building academic places. Such as libraries, animal and plant parks, laboratories and so on.
(2) publishing academic books. Bacon said that just as dew in the sky and spring water in the ground can only be kept in a pool, scientific knowledge should also be kept in books or colleges, such as the integration of knowledge and strength, and the emphasis on scholars and academic freedom is still enlightening. Knowledge is power, and it still affects us. Although "knowledge is power" is a very old saying, it still keeps pace with the times in this era, which is not only powerful, but also far-reaching. In the rapidly changing and highly competitive 2 1 century, knowledge and learning have become the most important strength assets of individuals, enterprises and even countries. We all believe that knowledge is power; After we have knowledge, we should use this power to influence society. Just like us college students, we should inherit the ideological essence of the sages and study more. No matter what kind of knowledge, if a person has rich knowledge and insight, he can look around and do things calmly. Similarly, if a person has a wealth of knowledge, he will have one more way to solve things when he meets things. In addition, we can gain true knowledge and generate inspiration in the research and exploration, and then reach the other side of the ideal. Otherwise, it can only be short-sighted and helpless when encountering difficulties. Practice has proved that the depth of knowledge is very important for scientific discovery and creative work. Only by studying hard, assiduously studying, and enriching the mind with knowledge, can we establish a knowledgeable online innovative thinking, broaden our horizons and be flexible in thinking and studying problems, and get rid of mediocrity and work creatively. Modern society is called the knowledge age, because the pace of civilization is advancing by leaps and bounds, many unknown fields are quickly cut in and conquered, thus opening up a broad space for people to know, think and use. Take a closer look at those things that have poured into our family and life and provided us with great convenience. Which one is not the crystallization of knowledge? In a sense, knowledge is not only strength but also wealth. Get up, so it won't dissipate.
(3) Improve the treatment of scholars. Bacon pointed out that only when scholars have comfortable living conditions and rich living expenses can they exhaust their energy and devote their lives to academic discussion and cultivation. Many thoughts in Bacon's scientific view, such as the unity of knowledge and practice, attaching importance to scholars and emphasizing academic freedom, are still enlightening today. Knowledge is power, and it still affects us. Although "knowledge is power" is a very old saying, it still keeps pace with the times in this era, which is not only powerful, but also far-reaching. In the rapidly changing and highly competitive 2 1 century, knowledge and learning have become the most important strength assets of individuals, enterprises and even countries. We all believe that knowledge is power; After we have knowledge, we should use this power to influence society.
Just like us college students, we should inherit the ideological essence of the sages and study more. No matter what kind of knowledge, if a person has rich knowledge and insight, he can look around and do things calmly. Similarly, if a person has a wealth of knowledge, he will have one more way to solve things when he meets things. In addition, we can gain true knowledge and generate inspiration in the research and exploration, and then reach the other side of the ideal. Otherwise, it can only be short-sighted and helpless when encountering difficulties. Practice has proved that the depth of knowledge is very important for scientific discovery and creative work. Only by studying hard, assiduously studying, and enriching the mind with knowledge, can we establish a knowledgeable online innovative thinking, broaden our horizons and be flexible in thinking and studying problems, and get rid of mediocrity and work creatively.
Modern society is called the knowledge age, because the pace of civilization is advancing by leaps and bounds, many unknown fields are quickly cut in and conquered, thus opening up a broad space for people to know, think and use. Take a closer look at those things that have poured into our family and life and provided us with great convenience. Which one is not the crystallization of knowledge? In a sense, knowledge is not only strength but also wealth.
Bacon's thesis "Knowledge is Power" (2) Knowledge is Power! This sentence inspired me for many years, especially when I was a teenager. I was weak since I was a child, and I was laughed at for my lack of strength when I was working in the countryside. I have a strong self-esteem. In order not to admit defeat, I often pull weeds. At work, I quietly compete with my peers. Others play, I am busy. But every time I get flustered, I am still not as good as my companions, and I am very depressed. After school, I can't remember what year it was. The phrase "knowledge is power" came into my life, and I saw hope in fragility. So I have studied hard since I was a child, and my grades have been very good. I often help my peers to learn and have always found myself.
The phrase "knowledge is power" has made me develop the habit of loving learning over the years. Although the content of learning is different in different periods, I have been intoxicated with the pursuit of knowledge. I am very grateful to Bacon, the first person who put forward this sentence.
So, I moved Bacon's life and studied together.
The classic saying "knowledge is power" was first said by Bacon.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was a British philosopher and the founder of empiricism at the turn of16 and 17 centuries.
In his time, Europe had got rid of the shadow of the Middle Ages. Although the most glorious period of the Renaissance has passed, its afterglow has not been exhausted, and social productive forces and science and technology have made great progress. This historical background left a deep mark on Bacon's philosophy. Bacon was born in a new noble family developed during the Reformation, and his father was the king's minister in charge of the seal. He entered Oxford University at the age of 12. After graduating from college, he began to go into politics. Has served as deputy attorney general, attorney general and other important positions. 16 17 was appointed minister in charge of the seal, and 1665438 was appointed chief justice. In the same year, he was made Baron Verulam (666). Just when he was in the heyday of officialdom, he was suddenly accused of taking bribes and was taken to the Tower of London, but he was released by the king four days later.59986.99999998996 His main works are: Academic Progress, New Tools, New Island, etc.
Bacon's greatest contribution to philosophy is that he put forward a series of principles of materialist empiricism; Formulated a systematic inductive logic, emphasizing the role of experiments in understanding. Marx and Engels called Bacon "the first founder of British materialism"; It is "the true ancestor of the whole experimental science" and a scientific summary of Bacon's philosophical characteristics. Bacon believes that the world is an objective existence independent of human will, and human knowledge (knowledge) can only be obtained from the objective outside world through perceptual experience. He said: "Man is a servant and interpreter of nature, so all he can do and understand is what he sees about the facts and thoughts of natural processes." In his view, the authenticity of knowledge is consistent with the authenticity of existence. "The difference between them is only direct light and reflected light", which is a quite thorough materialist reflection theory. Why do people's understanding have to start with experience? Because in bacon's view, objective external things can only be perceived by people through the senses. In his words, "the individual (objective external things) first stimulates the senses, and the senses seem to be the entrance and portal of reason." It is worth noting that although Bacon emphasized the importance of perceptual experience to people's understanding, he did not absolutize it. He only emphasized that the senses are a necessary channel for people to know the outside world, but he did not say that all the knowledge gained through the senses is correct, let alone that this knowledge is all knowledge. On the contrary, he believes that the senses themselves are limited. For example, the senses may not be able to clearly understand objects that are not too exposed, too small or too far away in space, so he said: "It is a big mistake to draw the conclusion that the senses are the measure of everything."
He said that bees collect honey from flower beds and flowers in the field. After bees collect pollen, they must go through their own processing to make sweet and delicious honey. People's understanding is the same, raw materials can only be obtained from the outside world through the senses, but this does not mean that real knowledge has been obtained. People must also "change and digest these materials obtained from the outside world and keep them reasonable" through their own brains, thus forming real knowledge.
What is particularly commendable is that Bacon attaches great importance to the role of scientific experiments in cognition. This is related to Bacon being not only a philosopher, but also a scientist. He thinks that experiment is different from experience, which is naturally formed and controlled by people. Through scientific experiments, people can often gain knowledge that they can't get from experience. "The mystery of nature can be revealed more easily under technical intervention than in natural activities."
Another feature of Bacon's epistemology is that he believes that to understand nature, we must break all kinds of obstacles in human mind and realize rational liberation. In his view, people's cognitive errors come from two aspects, that is, from feelings and minds, and mental errors have a greater impact on people's understanding. He said: "The mind is far from being compared with the nature of a clear and bright mirror, and the light of things can be reflected on it according to its true incident angle;" No, this is an enchanted mirror. If its evil influence is not removed and restored to its original state, it will be full of superstition and fraud. "The evil influence comes from the spiritual aspect. Bacon pointed out that there are four kinds of illusions: racial illusion, cave illusion, market illusion and theater illusion. Racial illusion refers to the common mistakes made by human beings; Cave illusion means that some people confuse their imaginary theories everywhere and force objective things to conform to their own thoughts; Market illusion refers to mistakes caused by improper use of concepts and terms, especially when objective things have changed and the original concepts and terms have no time to make corresponding changes, it is easier to make such mistakes; Theater illusion refers to the mistakes made by blindly believing in traditional philosophy. Here, Bacon criticized Plato and Aristotle's philosophy, which had great influence in the history of European philosophy.
Bacon attached importance to perceptual experience and scientific experiments, which was contrary to the emphasis on revelation and belief in medieval theology and scholasticism. His philosophy is essentially against theology and scholasticism. This can also be seen from his proposition that knowledge is power. For a long time, many books and papers about Bacon have mentioned the proposition that "knowledge is power", but in which book did Bacon put forward this proposition, without paying any price. Over time, people even wondered whether Bacon had put forward this proposition. Not long ago, I read the History of World Civilization by American scholar will durant, only to know that this proposition does not exist in Bacon's existing works such as Academic Progress, New Tools, New Island, etc., but this sentence is left in his Meditation, Sacre (Meditation). This meditation has not been published, so some people only know that Bacon said "knowledge is power", but it is not clear where he said it.
Bacon's Knowledge is Power (3) What is life? Why have countless people been discussing it, asking it and demonstrating it? Life is an empty and profound topic. We are on the road of life, but this road is so strange and full of too many unknown factors. When we were young, we didn't ask about life because our parents were pulling us, but in our teens, we had a certain ideology and more doubts and troubles, hoping to get answers. I'm glad I had Bacon's guidance in my life.
Francis Bacon's "knowledge is power" should be the most familiar sentence to the public. When I first came into contact with this collection of his essays, I thought it would be an abstract and obscure work. Bacon, on the other hand, solved the mystery of life with his own experience and thinking, some topics of life and human nature. In the process of reading, there is always a feeling of being suddenly enlightened. Although he didn't really tell me what to do, he made a rational analysis of these things, which gave me my own understanding and perception of life.
First of all, the world is the unity of truth, goodness and beauty and falsehood, ugliness and ugliness. At the beginning of On Truth, we discussed truth and lies. Bacon said, for the world, truth is like a pearl, which will only become bright under the sunshine. Truth is not that kind of ruby or diamond, it needs to be transformed into colors by flickering candlelight. But truth is actually the highest virtue in human nature. And a lie is "asking God to execute the death knell of the doomsday judgment". "On goodness and goodness of nature" says that "goodness is consistent with virtue and benevolence in theology, and it will not go too far and will only make mistakes." In the article "On Beauty", Bacon also wrote: "Virtue is better than precious stones, and beauty is embedded in nature; And people who are good at beauty are undoubtedly the most beautiful. " Truth, goodness and beauty are the most beautiful things in the world.
However, in On Camouflage and Cover-up, it is said that camouflage and cover-up confuse people and "deprive a person of his main tools-trust and responsibility". "On Jealousy" also said that jealousy and love make people confused whether they are charming or magical people. "It is easy to create images and concepts; And easy to see, especially when there are objects present, these are the places that lead to confusion. " These false evils and ugliness have quietly destroyed the best things in the world. On the road of life, we must learn to distinguish truth, goodness, beauty from falsehood, evil and ugliness, so as to create a bright future.
Secondly, guide me what I value in my study, life and work. He said in "On Reading" that "the lessons of history make people wise; Poetry makes people wise; Mathematics makes people fine; Natural history is profound; The study of ethics makes people solemn; Logic and rhetoric are eloquent. " On Friendship emphasizes that friendship is the most essential thing in life. For example, "People who can't get friendship will be poor loners for life, and the society without friendship will be a desert, so people who are willing to be lonely belong to animals instead of people." In addition, other articles also talked about habits and education, parents and children, marriage and celibacy and many other aspects. I especially like what he said in On Travel: "Traveling among young people is a part of education; Old people are part of the experience ",which emphasizes the importance of travel in life.
In addition, there is a kind of "larded school" that can be used in officialdom. For example, on power, on cunning, on ambition and other chapters. Bacon wrote: "It is really puzzling to sacrifice freedom in pursuit of rights, or to sacrifice oneself in pursuit of the right to control others." The process of promotion is extremely difficult, and it has to go through a lot of hardships, but the higher the promotion, the more suffering you get, and the process of promotion is sometimes shameful, because it makes people noble by humble means. "
"People can't retreat if they want to retreat. They won't retreat when it's time to retreat. Those who have returned are unwilling to return. Only through other people's opinions can senior officials realize their own happiness. If they follow their true feelings, there is no happiness. " Although I am not deeply involved in the world now, I don't quite understand why they are so intrigued just to wait for tall buildings, but they are "unattainable", but how sad it is to get so-called happiness from others' eyes in reality.
"Some books can be tasted, some books can be swallowed, and some books must be chewed slowly and fully digested." Bacon's book, whenever I have time, I always turn it over. What it means to me is that every period brings me motivation to move forward. In high school, I was taught how to solve the friction between classmates, how to face the change of academic performance, how to overcome the heavy pressure of college entrance examination, and how to adjust the depressed mood. In college, he taught me how to stick to my professional choice, get out of the fantasy castle, and understand the truth, goodness and beauty of this world, as well as the hypocrisy and ugliness of this world. Once I always wanted to escape from this world, but when I read this book again, I realized that I have always existed in this world, but this world did not exist because of me. I can't make the whole world adapt to me, only I adapt to this world. However, there is only one me in the world. Only by building a sky with your own strength can you get out of your life.