kj^lIsts^s city 
Review of Science and Industry, 
' A MONTHLY RECORD OF PROGRESS IN 
SCIENCE, MECHANIC ARTS AND LITERATURE. 
VOL. VII. SEPTEMBER, 1883. NO. 5. 
PHILOSOPHY, 
THE BACONIAN PHILOSOPHY. 
J. D. PARKER, U. S. A. 
The great current setting through our times, on whose bosom the world has 
been borne these last three centuries, is the Baconian philosophy. Francis 
Bacon, the founder of this system, was born at London, January 22, 1561, and 
was pronounced by Pope to be the wisest and brightest of mankind. Next to 
the first century, I believe this was the greatest epoch in human history. Three 
or four centuries ago our ancestors were little better than barbarians. Excepting 
the imperfectly developed elements* of a religious faith, we find among the nations 
of Europe, a phase of civilization little preferable to that of the Orient. Pro- 
found, and painful is the darkness of that period in all that pertains to true phil- 
osophy and true science. "Out of that darkness and chaos," says a recent 
writer, "have come all our civil and religious freedom, all our philanthrophy 
and benevolence, all our diffused comfort and luxury, most of our good manners 
and morals, and all the splendid achievements of our modern scientific investi- 
gation." 
The Aristotelian Philosophy had held the world in chains for two thousand 
years. The ten categories of Aristotle were supposed to be the ne plus ultra of 
human wisdom. A vast fabric of astronomic fable had been built up, circle on 
epicircle, which only needed the touch of truth to dissolve like the morning dew. 
VII- 17 
