Loading...

Course Description

Rousseau once said that "perhaps the greatest philosopher who ever lived was the Lord Chancellor of England," by which he meant Francis Bacon. Bacon (1561-1626) was a philosopher, statesman, and scientist; he employed Thomas Hobbes as his personal secretary; and it was his argument that science should not be devoted to contemplation but instead to "the relief of man's estate" that has in large part determined what modern science and philosophy have become. This course will be a broad overview of Bacon's works in various genres: science (The New Organon), politics (Essays and The New Atlantis) and philosophy (Essays and The Wisdom of the Ancients). In the end, we will see why Thomas Jefferson referred to Bacon (along with Newton and Locke) as one of "the three greatest men the world has ever produced."

Loading...
Thank you for your interest in this course. Unfortunately, the course you have selected is currently not open for enrollment. Please complete a Course Inquiry so that we may promptly notify you when enrollment opens.
Required fields are indicated by .