Product Description

This seminal philosophical treatise, originally penned in 1605 and considered the first major philosophical work written in English, also offers the first description of science as a tool to improve the human condition. This breakthrough work of the English Renaissance hailed new times and new possibilities for the human species. Bacon catalogs the current state of learning, the obstacles to its progress, and his own plans for its revitalization. Newly designed and reset as an inexpensive paperback, this edition makes available a work that has significantly defined the modern era.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1465451 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 235 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
While he didn't exactly invent science, Francis Bacon is its best-known early promoter. The Advancement of Learning is his 1605 argument in favour of natural philosophy and inductive reasoning, and is just as vigorous and cogent today. Though using the language of Shakespeare, the book is still largely accessible to modern readers--still, a bit of classical knowledge is helpful. Shaking off the centuries-old domination of Aristotle, Bacon advocated building scientific theories on facts and observations rather than pure reason; little has changed in our approach to understanding the world since then. Of greatest interest to historians and philosophers of science, the book will also appeal to those curious about the underpinnings of today's naturalistic thinking. --Rob Lightner

Review of English Studies
"Many of Kiernan's notes become mini-essays in themselves, striking exactly the right balance between textual, semantic, and cultural elucidation, as well as providing summary guides to current Bacon research ... This new edition of The Advancement of Learning is indeed more correct, more faithful, more profitable, and more diligent than any of its predecessors, and it is most warmly welcome"

Notes and Queries
"This commentary, like the introduction, is underpinned by wide-ranging and sure-footed scholarship."