beacon lights of history-iii-2-第60节

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progress　in　science；　the　way　to　it　being　indicated　by　him　pre…

eminently？



The　whole　thing　consists　in　this；　that　Bacon　pointed　out　the　right

road　to　truth；as　a　board　where　two　roads　meet　or　diverge

indicates　the　one　which　is　to　be　followed。　　He　did　not　make　a

system；　like　Descartes　or　Spinoza　or　Newton：　he　showed　the　way　to

make　it　on　sound　principles。　　〃He　laid　down　a　systematic　analysis

and　arrangement　of　inductive　evidence。〃　　The　syllogism；　the　great

instrument　used　by　Aristotle　and　the　Schoolmen；　〃is；　from　its　very

nature；　incompetent　to　prove　the　ultimate　premises　from　which　it

proceeds；　and　when　the　truth　of　these　remains　doubtful；　we　can

place　no　confidence　in　the　conclusions　drawn　from　them。〃　　Hence；

the　first　step　in　the　reform　of　science　is　to　review　its　ultimate

principles；　and　the　first　condition　of　a　scientific　method　is　that

it　shall　be　competent　to　conduct　such　an　inquiry；　and　this　method

is　applicable；　not　to　physical　science　merely；　but　to　the　whole

realm　of　knowledge。　　This；　of　course；　includes　poetry；　art；

intellectual　philosophy；　and　theology；　as　well　as　geology　and

chemistry。



And　it　is　this　breadth　of　inquirydirected　to　subjective　as　well

as　objective　knowledgewhich　made　Bacon　so　great　a　benefactor。

The　defect　in　Macaulay's　criticism　is　that　he　makes　Bacon

interested　in　mere　outward　phenomena；　or　matters　of　practical

utility；a　worldly　utilitarian　of　whom　Epicureans　may　be　proud。

In　reality　he　soared　to　the　realm　of　Plato　as　well　as　of　Aristotle。

Take；　for　instance；　his　Idola　Mentis　Humanae；　or　〃Phantoms　of　the

Human　Mind；〃　which　compose　the　best…known　part　of　the　〃Novum

Organum。〃　　〃The　Idols　of　the　Tribe〃　would　show　the　folly　of

attempting　to　penetrate　further　than　the　limits　of　the　human

faculties　permit；　as　also　〃the　liability　of　the　intellect　to　be

warped　by　the　will　and　affections；　and　the　like。〃　　The　〃Idols　of

the　Den〃　have　reference　to　〃the　tendency　to　notice　differences

rather　than　resemblances；　or　resemblances　rather　than　differences；

in　the　attachment　to　antiquity　or　novelty；　in　the　partiality　to

minute　or　comprehensive　investigations。〃　　〃The　Idols　of　the　Market…

Place〃　have　reference　to　the　tendency　to　confound　words　with

things；　which　has　ever　marked　controversialists　in　their　learned

disputatious。　　In　what　he　here　says　about　the　necessity　for

accurate　definitions；　he　reminds　us　of　Socrates　rather　than　a

modern　scientist；　this　necessity　for　accuracy　applies　to

metaphysics　as　much　as　it　does　to　physics。　　〃The　Idols　of　the

Theatre〃　have　reference　to　perverse　laws　of　demonstration　which　are

the　strongholds　of　error。　　This　school　deals　in　speculations　and

experiments　confined　to　a　narrow　compass；　like　those　of　the

alchemists；too　imperfect　to　elicit　the　light　which　should　guide。



Bacon　having　completed　his　discussion　of　the　Idola；　then　proceeds；

to　point　out　the　weakness　of　the　old　philosophies；　which　produced

leaves　rather　than　fruit；　and　were　stationary　in　their　character。

Here　he　would　seem　to　lean　towards　utilitarianism；　were　it　not　that

he　is　as　severe　on　men　of　experiment　as　on　men　of　dogma。　　〃The　men

of　experiment　are；〃　says　he；　〃like　ants；they　only　collect　and

use；　the　reasoners　resemble　spiders；　who　make　cobwebs　out　of　their

own　substance。　　But　the　bee　takes　a　middle　course；　it　gathers　the

material　from　the　flowers；　but　digests　it　by　a　power　of　its　own。　。　。　。

So　true　philosophy　neither　chiefly　relies　on　the　powers　of　the

mind；　nor　takes　the　matter　which　it　gathers　and　lays　it　up　in　the

memory；　whole　as　it　finds　it；　but　lays　it　up　in　the　understanding；

to　be　transformed　and　digested。〃　　Here　he　simply　points　out　the

laws　by　which　true　knowledge　is　to　be　attained。　　He　does　not　extol

physical　science　alone；　though　doubtless　he　had　a　preference　for　it

over　metaphysical　inquiries。　　He　was　an　Englishman；　and　the　English

mind　is　objective　rather　than　subjective；　and　is　prone　to　over…

value　the　outward　and　the　seen；　above　the　inward　and　unseen；　and

perhaps　for　the　same　reason　that　the　Old　Testament　seems　to　make

prosperity　the　greatest　blessing；　while　adversity　seems　to　he　the

blessing　of　the　New　Testament。



One　of　Bacon's　longest　works　is　the　〃Silva　Sylvarum；〃a　sort　of

natural　history；　in　which　he　treats　of　the　various　forces　and

productions　of　Nature；the　air　the　sea；　the　winds；　the　clouds；

plants　and　animals；　fire　and　water；　sounds　and　discords；　colors　and

smells；　heat　and　cold；　disease　and　health；　but　which　varied

subjects　he　presents　to　communicate　knowledge；　with　no　especial

utilitarian　end。



〃The　Advancement　of　Learning〃　is　one　of　Bacon's　most　famous

productions；　but　I　fail　to　see　in　it　an　objective　purpose　to　enable

men　to　become　powerful　or　rich　or　comfortable；　it　is　rather　an

abstract　treatise；　as　dry　to　most　people　as　legal　disquisitions；

and　with　no　more　reference　to　rising　in　the　world　than

〃Blackstone's　Commentaries〃　or　〃Coke　upon　Littleton。〃　　It　is　a

profound　dissertation　on　the　excellence　of　learning；　its　great

divisions　treating　of　history；　poetry；　and　philosophy；of

metaphysical　as　well　as　physical　philosophy；　of　the　province　of

understanding；　the　memory；　the　will；　the　reason；　and　the

imagination；　and　of　man　in　society；of　government；　of　universal

justice；　of　the　fountains　of　law；　of　revealed　religion。



And　if　we　turn　from　the　new　method　by　which　he　would　advance　all

knowledge；　and　on　which　his　fame　as　a　philosopher　chiefly　rests；

that　method　which　has　led　to　discoveries　that　even　Bacon　never

dreamed　of；　not　thinking　of　the　fruit　he　was　to　bestow；　but　only

the　way　to　secure　it；even　as　a　great　inventor　thinks　more　of　his

invention　than　of　the　money　he　himself　may　reap　from　it；　as　a　work

of　creation　to　benefit　the　world　rather　than　his　own　family；　and　in

the　work　of　which　his　mind　revels　in　a　sort　of　intoxicated　delight；

like　a　true　poet　when　he　constructs　his　lines；　or　a　great　artist

when　he　paints　his　picture；a　pure　subjective　joy；　not　an

anticipated　gain；if　we　turn　from　this　〃method〃　to　most　of　his

other　writings；　what　do　we　find？　　Simply　the　lucubrations　of　a　man

of　letters；　the　moral　wisdom　of　the　moralist；　the　historian；　the

biographer；　the　essayist。　　In　these　writings　we　discover　no　more

worldliness　than　in　Macaulay　when　he　wrote　his　〃Milton；〃　or　Carlyle

when　he　penned　his　〃Burns；〃even　less；　for　Bacon　did　not　write　to

gain　a　living；　but　to　please　himself　and　give　vent　to　his　burning

thoughts。　　In　these　he　had　no　worldly　aim　to　reach；　except　perhaps

an　imperishable　fame。　　He　wrote　as　Michael　Angelo　sculptured　his

Moses；　and　he　wrote　not　merely　amid　the　cares　and　duties　of　a　great

public　office；　with　other　labors　which　might　be　called　Herculean；

but　even　amid　pains　of　disease　and　the　infirmities　of　age；when

rest；　to　most　people；　is　the　greatest　boon　and　solace　of　their

lives。



Take　his　Essays；these　are　among　his　best…known　works；so

brilliant　and　forcible；　suggestive　and　rich；　that　even　Archbishop

Whately's　commentaries　upon　them　are　scarcely　an　addition。　　Surely

these　are　not　on　material　subjects；　and　indicate　anything　but　a

worldly　or　sordid　nature。　　In　these　famous　Essays；　so　luminous　with

the　gems　of　genius；　we　read　not　such　worldly…wise　exhortations　as

Lord　Chesterfield　impressed　upon　his　son；　not　the　gossiping

frivolities　of　Horace　Walpole；　not　the　cynical　wit　of　Montaigne；

but　those　great　certitudes　which　console　in　affliction；　which

kindle　hope；　which　inspire　lofty　resolutions；anchors　of　the　soul；

pillars　of　faith；　sources　of　immeasurable　joy；　the　glorious　ideals

of　true　objects　of　desire；　the　eternal　unities　of　truth　and　love

and　beauty；　all　of　which　reveal　the　varied　experiences　of　life　and

the　riches　of　deeply…pondered　meditation　on　God　and　Christianity；

as　well　as　knowledge　of　the　world　and　the　desirableness　of　its

valued　gifts。　　How　beautiful　are　his　thoughts　on　death；　on

adversity；　on　glory；　on　anger；　on　friendship；　on　fame；　on　ambition；

on　envy；　on　riches；　on　youth　and　old　age；　and　divers　other　subjects

of　moral　import；　which　show　the　elevation　of　his　soul；　and　the

subjective　as　well　as　the　objective　turn　of　his　mind；　not　dwelling

on　what　he　should　eat　and　what　he　should　drink　and　wherewithal　he

should　be　clothed；　but　on　the　truths　which　appeal　to　our　higher

nature；　and　which　raise　the　thoughts　of　men　from　earth　to　heaven；

or　at　least　to　the　realms　of　intellectual　life　and　joy。



And　then；　it　is　necessary　that　we　should　take　in　view　other　labors

which　dignified　Bacon's　retirement；　as　well　as　those　which　marked

his　more　active　career　as　a　lawyer　and　statesman；his　histories

and　biographies；　as　well　as　learned　treatises　to　improve　the　laws

of　England；　his　political　discourses；　his　judicial　charges；　his

theological　tracts；　his　speeches　and　letters　and　prayers；　all　of

which　had　relation　to　benefit　others　rather　than　himself。　　Who　has

ever　done　more　to　instruct　the　world；to　enable　men　to　rise　not　in

fortune　merely；　but　in　virtue　and　patriotism；