Sir Francis Bacon ended his public life as a disgrace. In
the end he was pardoned by the king, but we don’t mention his criminal record
when we quote him or celebrate his achievements. I’ve gone 26 years hearing all
kinds of things about the man and how his work led to society as we know it,
and I’m just now learning that as one of the most powerful government officials
in England he was taking bribes. It wasn’t even just accusations fabricated for
some power grab; he admitted being guilty.
Reading about his thoughts and his life, I was tempted to
forget it. Many of his important ideas don’t at all seem new because they are
so woven into how we look at the world. But, if he’d been a politician today,
we’d have had the same reaction they did back then. The only difference being
that there would be no king’s pardon at the end of his punishments. Anything
important thing he would have said would have been tainted.
But, we don’t think that way about him because of everything
he did. The episode Up in Smoke from Aaron
Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities tells
the story of how even at the end of his life he helped discover how the cold
can preserve meat (great story). The man even helped invent the reason why we
can have grocery store chains. Do we continue to hold him accountable as a
corrupt politician? Or do we let him off? And what does that answer say about
our modern political climate?
Image credit to wikimedia.org
I'm inclined to cut Bacon a little bit of slack...as far as corruption and crime go, taking bribes is a far cry from any sort of malicious behavior. You receive money from highly willing sources simply to have a different opinion. Not that I'm defending bribery as a Way of Life, but in light of Francis's legacy as a humanist, scientist, and philosopher, I'll publicly admit I don't regret reading his thoughts on the scientific method.
ReplyDeleteI think that perhaps far from judging Bacon as "good" or "evil," it is better to accept him as human. Was he a paragon of virtue? No, he made mistakes, but that does not mean that we can't appreciate his contributions and see his failings. It just makes him a more rounded character, with strengths and flaws. It is hard to see people as more than just one dimensional characters in the story of history, but that is life. George Washington had a terrible temper, Columbus enslaved and ruined the lives of thousands of Native Americans, Martin Luther was at time an intolerant hypocrite. If we try to label people just one way we will be sorely disappointed with the results.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit it: I'm a big time Trump supporter. I like the fact that he has kept the promises that he made during his campaign and it's a breath of fresh air to have someone who isn't afraid to say what he thinks. And no, I don't think anyone doubts that his morals could use some adjusting. Unfortunately, because of his personality most people are far from willing to work with him. A close relative of mine is a senator in Arizona, and it seems that no matter what he is determined to go against everything that Trump says. What if Trump tries to push truly great things (which I think he is) and because of people's attitudes we lose out on some amazing opportunities? What if we continued to hold Francis Bacon's faults up to the light and refused to consider his work? I believe we have a lot to learn about not condemning people. Great post!
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