Sir Francis Bacon, near the end of his author's preface to the Instauratio Magna, offers a
four-part prayer to God.
Reading this prayer closely will help us understand the context and ambition
of Bacon's philosophical project.
In this video I will walk you through the four petitions in Bacon's prayer and challenge
you to answer some key questions about each one.
After answering these questions you will be better prepared to read further into Bacon's
new philosophy. Here we go.
Sir Francis Bacon begins his four-part prayer in the author's preface to the Instauratio
Magna here: “But as these great things are not at our disposal, we here, at the entrance
of our work, with the utmost humility and fervency, put forth our prayers to God….”
And now he begins with the first of his four petitions: “that remembering the miseries
of mankind and the pilgrimage of this life, where we pass but few days and sorrowful,
he would vouchsafe through our hands and the hands of others to whom He has given like
mind to relieve the human race by a new act of His bounty.”
So about the first half of this petition, my question is: What aspects of the human
condition is Bacon calling attention to here?
Try to give examples of what you think he means by “the miseries of mankind.”
He's not talking about simple petty annoyances, but about something else.
And then my second comment: “vouchsafe” here means to entrust or to give.
So what is Bacon asking God to give to, or through, him and other new philosopher/scientists?
Some new act of his bounty—and just what that is that Bacon envisions is going to be
important for us.
The second petition is quite short: “We likewise humbly beseech Him that what is human
may not clash with what is divine.”
What do you think Bacon means here by “what is human” and “what is divine”?
What sort of clash is he praying will be avoided?
The third petition is a long one: “that when the ways of the senses are opened and
a greater natural light set up in the mind, nothing of incredulity and blindness toward
divine mysteries may arise, but rather that the understanding, now cleared up and purged
of all vanity and superstition, may remain entirely subject to the divine oracles and
yield to faith the things that are faith’s.”
Let's take this in two halves: first, “when the ways of the senses are opened and a greater
natural light set up in the mind, we pray that nothing of incredulity,” that’s unbelief,
“and blindness toward divine mysteries may arise….”
So Bacon refers here to a future where the way of the senses is opened.
What does this mean?
Why would he worry that “greater natural light” might lead to “incredulity and
blindness toward divine mysteries”?
That would explain some of his motivation for this petition.
And second: “…rather that the understanding, now cleared up and purged of all vanity and
superstition, may remain entirely subject to the divine oracles…” so that understanding
may remain subject to divine oracles, “and will yield (or give) to faith the things that
are faith’s.”
What alternative future is Bacon praying for here?
What relation between faith and reason does he ask God to grant?
And the last petition, here in green: “Lastly, that expelling the poisonous knowledge infused
by the serpent, which puffs up and swells the human mind, we may neither be wise above
measure nor go beyond the bounds of sobriety, but pursue the truth in charity.”
What is this “poisonous knowledge” that Bacon wants to be expelled from the human mind?
And what final requests is he making of God regarding his and other philosophers/scientists’
attitude toward their studies?
Just what is it that Bacon wishes for God to grant here in this final petition?
So that's my quick look at the four petitions that Bacon offers in his prayer in the author's
preface to the Instauratio Magna.
If you can answer the questions I've given you here you'll be well on your way to understanding
the nature of Bacon's project and his motivation for pursuing it.
That's all for now. Thanks for watching; goodbye.
[Music]