Francis Bacon: Of Studies

FRANCIS BACON “OF STUDIES”: An Explication

Introduction: Francis Bacon, the first major English essayist, comments forcefully on the value of reading and learning. As a capacious and pragmatic mind of the Renaissance, Bacon dwells on the subject of studying books and their uses in his essay, 'Of Studies'. The essay appeals to the intellect as he uses several many rhetorical devices[1] and substantiations to prove his arguments. His careful tripartite[2] division of studies expressed succinctly in aphoristic prose[3] demands the complete attention of the mind of the reader.

He wrote what now we would call "reflective" or "serious" essays. They are short pieces dealing with philosophical ideas, filled with aphorisms, and putting forth a personal point of view, but expecting readers to accept his ideas and recognize their validity. Some of his works are: Of Truth, Of Death, Of Adversity, Of Envy, Of Love, Of Friendship, Of Nature in Men, Of Building, Of Gardens, Of Studies (the last of which is probably his best known). Bacon's essays are a serious thinker's sharing of highest ideals. The very titles of his essays suggest that he was a great thinker and induced the readers into deep contemplation. The purpose dictates his tone and style as we notice that the tone of all his essays is serious and solemn as if it has sanctity of a religion, yet they provide convincing arguments that came from Bacon’s profession as a lawyer.

Summary/ Critical Appreciation: He instigates that studies serve us by giving us pleasure, by assisting us with self improvement and enhancing our capability in profession. He considers the evils of excess studying as over reading leads to laziness, vanity and precocity. Education extracts the best in us and experience further perfects it because experience teaches us the prudence to consider only the useful information and eliminate unnecessary details.

After discussing the function of education, Bacon moves on to imbibe the right attitude towards acquisition of knowledge. Cunning people dislike reading as knowledge might teach them those lessons that might be inimical or contradictory to their self-interests and they are too rigid to change themselves. Destitute people admire education as possessing it is a goal for them. However, the right approach towards studies is to adopt and comply with it which can be possible only after careful observation and experience. Bacon advises to acquire knowledge neither to argue or attack nor to deliberately display it as jewellery, but to train the mind to be logical and sensible.

He divides the books into three categories: those to be read in parts (like dictionary, law books), those to be read entirely out of necessity and those to be read with care, diligence and sincerity (holy books). Certain books are to be read out of necessity in order to support an argument or to solve a problem, but these books do not serve humanity at large. Otherwise a good book is like filtered water that attracts and serves people irrespective of their culture, caste or creed.

To attain knowledge and to sustain it is a challenge. Reading is the first step to gain knowledge as it shapes our personality, interaction sharpens our communication skills as we learn to exchange knowledge, amend or enrich it. Writing is of supreme importance as with writing comes perfection. Through writing we not only permanently lock the information with us but are also able to contemplate and add our own opinion or interpretation to it. Therefore, if a person writes less, he needs to have a great memory to be able to recall each and everything learnt, if he communicates less, he must have extra-ordinary wit and intelligence to be able to create a rapport, but if he reads little, he will have to use extreme cunningness to disguise his ignorance. Studies should include reading, which gives depth; speaking, which adds readiness to thought; and writing, which trains in preciseness.

The author ascribes certain virtues to individual fields of study. Wisdom comes from history as people learn from mistakes, intelligence from poetry (literature) as an artist thinks lofty thoughts, foresees and subtly expresses it in words. Subtlety is achieved from mathematics, as it teaches us analytical skills and endurance. Similarly depth comes from natural philosophy and seriousness from moral (study of religion). Whatever subject we take up it modifies our perception and influences our mannerisms. Therefore just as sports help to cure various body ailments, similarly each mental defect is looked after by various branches of study. If a man lacks concentration and focus, he must study Mathematics. If he has insufficient knowledge, he must take up higher education as they drill information into our minds and if he realizes that he is weak in arguing, he must take up a lawyer’s profession as it will train him to be an efficient debater.

Bacon’s four-hundred word essay, studded with Latin phrases and highly compressed in thought has intellectual appeal. Bacon’s essay is terse, pithy, packed with thought and reflects the intellectual power of the great mind.

Q.1. Explain the following lines in your own words:

“To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation pretention; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor wit/capability of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning, by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.”

Ans: Introduction: The above mentioned lines have been extracted from Francis Bacon’s essay, ‘Of Studies’. Bacon, the first major English essayist, emphasizes on the value of reading and learning. He was one of the leading figures in natural philosophy and in the field of scientific methodology in the period of transition from the Renaissance to the early modern era. He also published texts in which he speculated on possible conceptions of society, and pondered over questions of ethics (in Essays) and even in his works on natural philosophy (The Advancement of Learning).Being a lawyer by profession, his essays leave an indelible impression upon the reader’s mind. His practical wisdom has universal appeal. His maxims are prudential. The 19th century literary historian Henry Hallam wrote that "They are deeper and more discriminating than any earlier, or almost any later, work in the English language".

In the given lines, Bacon elucidates that one must not spend too much time on reading as it makes us lazy……

These lines efficiently display Bacon’s use of parallel structure in the essay that reinforces the meaning and intention of his essay. His language is simple and unambiguous and tone is that of a detached didactic scholar. The use of appropriate similes like the pruning of plants instantly explains the thought and drives home the underlying idea of the essay. Once again Bacon’s argumentative ability enables him to state his opinion and satisfyingly convince the readers.

Which of the following statement is true?

· Scholars’ personalities are shaped by the academic discipline in which they are engaged.

· It is an affectation to use foreign words in one writing

· An author can be more persuasive in a long work than in a shorter one

· Study should be undertaken without thought of personal gain

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[1] use of language that creates a literary effect

[2] Involving three parties or elements

[3] Terse and witty and like a maxim