Middle School
Worksheets
Sir Francis Bacon
Sir Francis Bacon was a true Renaissance man. He wanted to learn about everything. He wasn't just a lawyer or a statesman or a historian or a philosopher. He was all of these and more. He wanted to learn the true facts about every topic that he was interested in. Bacon said, "I have taken all knowledge to be my province."
Most educated people of his time gained their knowledge by reading the works of ancient Greeks or Romans or by reading religious works. Bacon wanted a more scientific approach. He wanted to be able to prove that his knowledge was true.
Bacon noticed several problems with the way most people were learning in his time. He named some of these problems fantastical learning, contentious learning, and delicate learning.
Fantastical learning was his name for sciences that were not really sciences. They included astrology, magic, and alchemy.
Contentious learning was his name for the activities of scholars who liked to spend all of their time arguing over small, unimportant points.
