The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BooK I. NOVUM ORGANUM. 355
theory they have imagined rather tending to disturb branches; that the heat of the sun and of fire are
than to assist experiment. Those, too, who have totally different, so as to prevent men from supoccupied themselves with natural magic, (as they posing that they can elicit or form, by means of
term it,) have made but few discoveries, and those fire, any thing similar to the operations of nature;
of small import, and bordering on imposture. For and, again, that composition only is the work of
which reason, in the same manner as we are cau- man and mixture of nature, so as to prevent men
tioned by religion to show our faith by our works, from expecting the generation or transformation
we may very properly apply the principle to phi- of natural bodies by art. Men will, therefore,
losophy, and judge of it by its works; accounting easily allow themselves to be persuaded by this
that to be futile which is unproductive, and still sign, not to engage their fortunes and labour in
more so, if instead of grapes and olives it yield speculations, which are not only desperate, but
but the thistle and thorns of dispute and contention. actually devoted to desperation.
74. Other signs may be selected from the in- 76. Nor should we omit the sign afforded by
crease and progress of particular systems of phi- the great dissension formerly prevalent among
losophy and the sciences. For those which are philosophers, and the variety of schools, which
founded on nature grow and increase, whilst those sufficiently show that the way was not well prewhich are founded on opinion change, and in- pared, that leads from the senses to the undercrease not. If, therefore, the theories we have standing, since the same groundwork of philosomentioned were not like plants torn up by the roots, phy (namely, the nature of things) was torn and
but grew in the womb of nature and were nou- divided into such widely differing and multifarious
rished by her; that which for the last two thou- errors. And although, in these days, the dissensand years has taken place would never have sions and differences of opinions with regard to
happened: namely, that the sciences still con- first principles and entire systems are nearly extinue in their beaten track, and nearly stationary, tinct, yet there remain innumerable questions and
without having received any important increase; controversies with regard to particular branches
nay, having, on the contrary, rather bloomed under of philosophy. So that it is manifest that there is
the hands of their first author, and then faded nothing sure or sound either in the systems themaway. But we see that the case is reversed in selves or in the methods of demonstration.
the mechanical arts, which are founded on nature 77. XWith regard to the supposition that there
and the light of experience, for they (as long as is a general unanimity as to the philosophy of
they are popular) seem full of life, and uninter- Aristotle, because the other systems of the anruptedly thrive and grow, being at first rude, then cients ceased and became obsolete on its prorntlconvenient, lastly polished, and perpetually im- gation, and nothing better has been since disproved. covered; whence it appears that it is so well
75. There is yet another sign, (if such it may determined and founded as to have united the
be termed, being rather an evidence, and one of suffrages of both ages; we will observe —st.
the strongest nature,) namely, the actual confes- That the notion of other ancient systems having
sion. of those very authorities whom men now ceased after the publication of the works of Arisfollow. For even they who decide on things so totle is false, for the works of the ancient philosodaringly, yet, at times, when they reflect, betake phers subsisted long after that event, even to the
themselves to complaints about the subtilty of time of Cicero and the subsequent ages. But at
nature, the obscurity of things, and the weakness a later period, when human learning had, as it
of man's wit. If they would merely do this, they were, been wrecked in the inundation of barmight perhaps deter those who are of a timid dis-. barians into the Roman empire, then the systems
position from further inquiry, but would excite of Aristotle and Plato were preserved in the waves
and stimulate those of a more active and confident of ages, like blanks of a lighter and less solid
turn to further advances. They are not, however, nature. 2d. The notion of unanimity on a clear
satisfied with confessing- so much of themselves, inspection is found to be fallacious. For true
but consider every thing which has been either unanimity is that which proceeds from a free
unknown or unattempted by themselves or their judgment arriving at the same conclusion after
teachers, as beyond the limits of possibility; and an investigation of the fact. Now, by far the
thus, with most consummate pride and envy, con- greater number of those who have assented to the
vert the defects of their own discoveries into a philosophy of Aristotle, have bound themselves
calumny on nature, and a source of despair.to down to it, from prejudice and the authority of
every one else. Hence arose the new academy, others, so that it is rather obsequiousness and
which openly professed skepticism and consigned concurrence than unanimity. But even if it were
mankind to eternal darkness. Hence the notion real and extensive unanimity, so far from being
that forms, or the true differences of things, (which esteemed a true and solid confirmation, it shoult
are in fact the laws of simple action,) are beyond lead to a violent presumption to the contrary. Fol
man's reach, and cannot possibly be discovered. there is no worse augury in intellectual matteis
HIence those notions in the active and operative than that derived from unanimity, with the exi