Monday, January 22, 2007

Today is the birthday of statesman, philosopher and early scientist Sir Francis Bacon. Among his many contributions to thought in the 17th Century, Bacon was a strong advocate for the more modern approach to scientific reasoning. His inductive approach began with a hypothesis, which was tested through experimentation and observation. It proved a bit more useful than wild unproven speculation (even though that approach still has its followers).



Pictured here are the complete works of Bacon, as compiled and published in the early 19th Century. Some would argue a copy of The Complete Shakespeare would belong in this set as well.