Francis Bacon

Philosopher

1561-01-22 – 1626-04-09

Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, statesman, and essayist associated with early modern empiricism. His writings on method and observation strongly influenced the development of modern science.

Quotes by Francis Bacon

Money is a great servant but a bad master.
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Nature cannot be commanded except by being obeyed.
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Reading maketh a full man; and writing an axact man. And, therefore, if a man write little, he need have a present wit; and if he read little, he need have much cunning to seem to know which he doth not.
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Where a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he have not a friend, he may quit the stage.
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The only really interesting thing iswhat happens between two people in a room.
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Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.
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Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted ...but to weigh and consider.
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Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.
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Nay, the same Solomon the king, although he excelled in the glory of treasure and magnificent buildings, of shipping and navigation, of service and attendance, of fame and renown, and the like, yet he maketh no claim to any of those glories, but only to the glory of inquisition of truth; for so he saith expressly, The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of the king is to find it out; as if, according to the innocent play of children, the Divine Majesty took delight to hide His works, to the end to have them found out; and as if kings could not obtain a greater honour than to be God's playfellows in that game
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Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
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A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion
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Wonder is the seed of knowledge
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A man that is young in years may be old in hours if he have lost no time.
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Knowledge itself is power
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If in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics.
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The inquiry of truth, which is the love-making, or the wooing of it, the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign good of human nature.
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For the things of this world cannot be made known without a knowledge of mathematics.
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I would address one general admonition to all, that they consider what are the true ends of knowledge, and that they seek it not either for pleasure of the mind, or for contention, or for superiority to others, or for profit, or for fame, or power, or any of these inferior things, but for the benefit and use of life; and that they perfect and govern it in charity. For it was from lust of power that the Angels fell, from lust of knowledge that man fell, but of charity there can be no excess, neither did angel or man come in danger by it.
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Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.
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Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.
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