And for myself, I am not raising a capitol or pyramid to the pride of man, but laying a foundation in the human understanding for a holy temple after the model of the world... For whatever deserves to exist deserves also to be known, for knowledge is the image of existence
An important part of Bacon's philosophy seems to be his interest in resisting the human temptation to 'fly off to universals,' and likewise in this work he seems to present simply a methodology, keeping predictions about a world in which his philosophy is followed vague at best (cf. his "idle wishes" in aphorism #129). This separates him from any one of the authors we've read in past seminars who have set up some image of a utopian commonwealth. Instead, he takes a very realistic approach: he does not intend his work to immediately penetrate "common apprehension," but he does seem hopeful that his methodology will, eventually, serve as a guide into new discoveries and inventions for humanity. How does this work fit in with other works like "The Republic," "On Cannibals," "The City of God," "Utopia," etc.? What would a 'Baconian' city look like?
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