"For man by the fall fell at the same from his state of innocence and from his dominion over creation. Both of these losses, however, can even in this life be in some part repaired; the former by religion and faith, the latter by arts and sciences...it is now by various labors (not certainly by disputations or idle magical ceremonies, but by various labors) at length and in some measure subdued to the supplying of man with bread, that is, to the uses of human life" (189).
These closing lines put an interesting cap on what we were talking about in the last class how Bacon despairs of just sitting around and contemplating things but charges Christians to seize their full humanity back as it was in the Garden of Eden through both faith and works. He proclaims that "arts and sciences" can repair humanity's relationship with God, and I wonder how the arts fit into this given our discussion of how Bacon seems only preoccupied with experiment, data, and tv ratings.
This is an interesting progression from Sem III and the Julianesque "all will be well" mentality of throwing oneself over to the will of God. Is it Bacon's frustration with exactly such thinking that makes him so action-oriented?
Also, Bacon only alludes to men's punishment during the fall, that they must sweat for their bread, and Bacon offers redemption through faith and works only in terms of overcoming this punishment. Where is women's role in his New Organon?
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