AssuredlyifthetreewhichSocratesplantedandPlatowateredistobejudgedofbyitsflowersandleaves，itisthenoblestoftrees。ButifwetakethehomelytestofBacon，ifwejudgeofthetreebyitsfruits，ouropinionofitmayperhapsbelessfavourable。Whenwesumupalltheusefultruthswhichweowetothatphilosophy，towhatdotheyamount？Wefind，indeed，abundantproofsthatsomeofthosewhocultivateditweremenofthefirstorderofintellect。Wefindamongtheirwritingsincomparablespecimensbothofdialecticalandrhetoricalart。Wehavenodoubtthattheancientcontroversieswereofuse，insofarastheyservedtoexercisethefacultiesofthedisputants;
forthereisnocontroversysoidlethatitmaynotbeofuseinthisway。But，whenwelookforsomethingmore，forsomethingwhichaddstothecomfortsoralleviatesthecalamitiesofthehumanrace，weareforcedtoownourselvesdisappointed。WeareforcedtosaywithBaconthatthiscelebratedphilosophyendedinnothingbutdisputation，thatitwasneitheravineyardnoranolive—ground，butanintricatewoodofbriarsandthistles，fromwhichthosewholostthemselvesinitbroughtbackmanyscratchesandnofood。[NovumOrganum，Lib。i。Aph。73。]
Wereadilyacknowledgethatsomeoftheteachersofthisunfruitfulwisdomwereamongthegreatestmenthattheworldhaseverseen。IfweadmitthejusticeofBacon’scensure，weadmititwithregret，similartothatwhichDantefeltwhenhelearnedthefateofthoseillustriousheathenswhoweredoomedtothefirstcircleofHell:
"Granduolmipresealcuorquandolo’ntesi，PerocchegentedimoltovaloreConobbiche’nquellimboeransospesi。"
Butintruththeveryadmirationwhichwefeelfortheeminentphilosophersofantiquityforcesustoadopttheopinionthattheirpowersweresystematicallymisdirected。Forhowelsecoulditbethatsuchpowersshouldeffectsolittleformankind？A
pedestrianmayshowasmuchmuscularvigouronatreadmillasonthehighwayroad。Butontheroadhisvigourwillassuredlycarryhimforward;andonthetreadmillhewillnotadvanceaninch。
Theancientphilosophywasatreadmill，notapath。Itwasmadeupofrevolvingquestions，ofcontroversieswhichwerealwaysbeginningagain。Itwasacontrivanceforhavingmuchexertionandnoprogress。Wemustacknowledgethatmorethanonce，whilecontemplatingthedoctrinesoftheAcademyandthePortico，evenastheyappearinthetransparentsplendourofCicero’sincomparablediction，wehavebeentemptedtomutterwiththesurlycenturioninPersius，"Curquisnonprandeathocest？"
Whatisthehighestgood，whetherpainbeanevil，whetherallthingsbefated，whetherwecanbecertainofanything，whetherwecanbecertainthatwearecertainofnothing，whetherawisemancanbeunhappy，whetheralldeparturesfromrightbeequallyreprehensible;these，andotherquestionsofthesamesort，occupiedthebrains，thetongues，andthepensoftheablestmeninthecivilisedworldduringseveralcenturies。Thissortofphilosophy，itisevident，couldnotbeprogressive。Itmightindeedsharpenandinvigoratethemindsofthosewhodevotedthemselvestoit;andsomightthedisputesoftheorthodoxLilliputiansandthehereticalBlefuscudiansaboutthebigendsandthelittleendsofeggs。Butsuchdisputescouldaddnothingtothestockofknowledge。Thehumanmindaccordingly，insteadofmarching，merelymarkedtime。Ittookasmuchtroubleaswouldhavesufficedtocarryitforward;andyetremainedonthesamespot。Therewasnoaccumulationoftruth，noheritageoftruthacquiredbythelabourofonegenerationandbequeathedtoanother，tobeagaintransmittedwithlargeadditionstoathird。
WherethisphilosophywasinthetimeofCicero，thereitcontinuedtobeinthetimeofSeneca，andthereitcontinuedtobeinthetimeofFavorinus。Thesamesectswerestillbattlingwiththesameunsatisfactoryarguments，aboutthesameinterminablequestions。Therehadbeennowantofingenuity，ofzeal，ofindustry。Everytraceofintellectualcultivationwasthere，exceptaharvest。Therehadbeenplentyofploughing，harrowing，reaping，threshing。Butthegarnerscontainedonlysmutandstubble。
Theancientphilosophersdidnotneglectnaturalsciencebuttheydidnotcultivateitforthepurposeofincreasingthepowerandamelioratingtheconditionofman。Thetaintofbarrennesshadspreadfromethicaltophysicalspeculations。Senecawrotelargelyonnaturalphilosophy，andmagnifiedtheimportanceofthatstudy。Butwhy？Notbecauseittendedtoassuagesuffering，tomultiplytheconveniencesoflife，toextendtheempireofmanoverthematerialworld;butsolelybecauseittendedtoraisethemindabovelowcares，toseparateitfromthebody，toexerciseitssubtiltyinthesolutionofveryobscurequestions。[Seneca，Nat。Quaest。praef。Lib。iii。]Thusnaturalphilosophywasconsideredinthelightmerelyofamentalexercise。Itwasmadesubsidiarytotheartofdisputation;anditconsequentlyprovedaltogetherbarrenofusefuldiscoveries。
Therewasonesectwhich，howeverabsurdandpernicioussomeofitsdoctrinesmayhavebeen，ought，itshouldseem，tohavemeritedanexceptionfromthegeneralcensurewhichBaconhaspronouncedontheancientschoolsofwisdom。TheEpicurean，whoreferredallhappinesstobodilypleasure，andalleviltobodilypain，mighthavebeenexpectedtoexerthimselfforthepurposeofbetteringhisownphysicalconditionandthatofhisneighbours。Butthethoughtseemsnevertohaveoccurredtoanymemberofthatschool。Indeedtheirnotion，asreportedbytheirgreatpoet，was，thatnomoreimprovementsweretobeexpectedintheartswhichconducetothecomfortoflife。
"AdvictumquaeflagitatususOmniajamfermemortalibusesseparata。"
Thiscontenteddespondency，thisdispositiontoadmirewhathasbeendone，andtoexpectthatnothingmorewillbedone，isstronglycharacteristicofalltheschoolswhichprecededtheschoolofFruitandProgress。WidelyastheEpicureanandtheStoicdifferedonmostpoints，theyseemtohavequiteagreedintheircontemptforpursuitssovulgarastobeuseful。Thephilosophyofbothwasagarrulous，declaiming，canting，wranglingphilosophy。Centuryaftercenturytheycontinuedtorepeattheirhostilewar—cries，VirtueandPleasure;andintheenditappearedthattheEpicureanhadaddedaslittletothequantityofpleasureastheStoictothequantityofvirtue。
ItisonthepedestalofBacon，notonthatofEpicurus，thatthosenoblelinesoughttobeinscribed"0tenebristantistamclarumextollerelumenQuiprimuspotuisti，illustranscommodavitae。"
InthefifthcenturyChristianityhadconqueredPaganism，andPaganismhadinfectedChristianity。TheChurchwasnowvictoriousandcorrupt。TheritesofthePantheonhadpassedintoherworship，thesubtiltiesoftheAcademyintohercreed。Inanevilday，thoughwithgreatpompandsolemnity，——wequotethelanguageofBacon，——wastheill—starredalliancestrickenbetweentheoldphilosophyandthenewfaith。[Cogitataetvisa。]QuestionswidelydifferentfromthosewhichhademployedtheingenuityofPyrrhoandCarneades，butjustassubtle，justasinterminable，andjustasunprofitable，exercisedthemindsofthelivelyandvolubleGreeks。WhenlearningbegantoreviveintheWest，similartriflesoccupiedthesharpandvigorousintellectsoftheSchoolmen。Therewasanothersowingofthewind，andanotherreapingofthewhirlwind。Thegreatworkofimprovingtheconditionofthehumanracewasstillconsideredasunworthyofamanoflearning。Thosewhoundertookthattask，ifwhattheyeffectedcouldbereadilycomprehended，weredespisedasmechanics;ifnot，theywereindangerofbeingburnedasconjurers。
Therecannotbeastrongerproofofthedegreeinwhichthehumanmindhadbeenmisdirectedthanthehistoryofthetwogreatesteventswhichtookplaceduringthemiddleages。WespeakoftheinventionofGunpowderandoftheinventionofPrinting。Thedatesofbothareunknown。Theauthorsofbothareunknown。Norwasthisbecausemenweretoorudeandignoranttovalueintellectualsuperiority。TheinventorofgunpowderappearstohavebeencontemporarywithPetrarchandBoccaccio。TheinventorofprintingwascertainlycontemporarywithNicholastheFifth，withCosmode’Medici，andwithacrowdofdistinguishedscholars。Butthehumanmindstillretainedthatfatalbentwhichithadreceivedtwothousandyearsearlier。GeorgeofTrebisondandMarsilioFicinowouldnoteasilyhavebeenbroughttobelievethattheinventoroftheprinting—presshaddonemoreformankindthanthemselves，orthanthoseancientwritersofwhomtheyweretheenthusiasticvotaries。
Atlengththetimearrivedwhenthebarrenphilosophywhichhad，duringsomanyages，employedthefacultiesoftheablestofmen，wasdestinedtofall。Ithadwornmanyshapes。Ithadmingleditselfwithmanycreeds。Ithadsurvivedrevolutionsinwhichempires，religions，languages，races，hadperished。Drivenfromitsancienthaunts，ithadtakensanctuaryinthatChurchwhichithadpersecuted，andhad，likethedaringfiendsofthepoet，placeditsseat"nexttheseatofGod，Andwithitsdarknessdaredaffronthislight。"
Words，andmorewords，andnothingbutwords，hadbeenallthefruitofallthetoilofallthemostrenownedsagesofsixtygenerations。Butthedaysofthissterileexuberancewerenumbered。
Manycausespredisposedthepublicmindtoachange。Thestudyofagreatvarietyofancientwriters，thoughitdidnotgivearightdirectiontophilosophicalresearch，didmuchtowardsdestroyingthatblindreverenceforauthoritywhichhadprevailedwhenAristotleruledalone。TheriseoftheFlorentinesectofPlatonists，asecttowhichbelongedsomeofthefinestmindsofthefifteenthcentury，wasnotanunimportantevent。ThemeresubstitutionoftheAcademicforthePeripateticphilosophywouldindeedhavedonelittlegood。Butanythingwasbetterthantheoldhabitofunreasoningservility。Itwassomethingtohaveachoiceoftyrants。"Asparkoffreedom，"asGibbonhasjustlyremarked，"wasproducedbythiscollisionofadverseservitude。"
Othercausesmightbementioned。Butitischieflytothegreatreformationofreligionthatweowethegreatreformationofphilosophy。ThealliancebetweentheSchoolsandtheVaticanhadforagesbeensoclosethatthosewhothrewoffthedominionoftheVaticancouldnotcontinuetorecognisetheauthorityoftheSchools。MostofthechiefsoftheschismtreatedthePeripateticphilosophywithcontempt，andspokeofAristotleasifAristotlehadbeenanswerableforallthedogmasofThomasAquinas。"NulloapudLutheranosphilosophiamesseinpretio，"wasareproachwhichthedefendersoftheChurchofRomeloudlyrepeated，andwhichmanyoftheProtestantleadersconsideredasacompliment。
ScarcelyanytextwasmorefrequentlycitedbythereformersthanthatinwhichSt。PaulcautionstheColossiansnottoletanymanspoilthembyphilosophy。Luther，almostattheoutsetofhiscareer，wentsofarastodeclarethatnomancouldbeatonceaproficientintheschoolofAristotleandinthatofChrist。
Zwingle，Bucer，PeterMartyr，Calvin，heldsimilarlanguage。InsomeoftheScotchuniversities，theAristoteliansystemwasdiscardedforthatofRamus。Thus，beforethebirthofBacon，theempireofthescholasticphilosophyhadbeenshakentoitsfoundations。TherewasintheintellectualworldananarchyresemblingthatwhichinthepoliticalworldoftenfollowstheoverthrowofanoldanddeeplyrootedGovernment。Antiquity，prescription，thesoundofgreatnames，haveceasedtoawemankind。Thedynastywhichhadreignedforageswasatanend;
andthevacantthronewaslefttobestruggledforbypretenders。
Thefirsteffectofthisgreatrevolutionwas，asBaconmostjustlyobserved，[DeAugmentis，Lib。i。]togiveforatimeanundueimportancetothemeregracesofstyle。Thenewbreedofscholars，theAschamsandBuchanans，nourishedwiththefinestcompositionsoftheAugustanage，regardedwithloathingthedry，crabbed，andbarbarousdictionofrespondentsandopponents。Theywerefarlessstudiousaboutthematteroftheirwritingthanaboutthemanner。TheysucceededinreformingLatinity;buttheyneverevenaspiredtoeffectareforminPhilosophy。
AtthistimeBaconappeared。Itisaltogetherincorrecttosay，ashasoftenbeensaid，thathewasthefirstmanwhoroseupagainsttheAristotelianphilosophywhenintheheightofhispower。Theauthorityofthatphilosophyhad，aswehaveshown，receivedafatalblowlongbeforehewasborn。Severalspeculators，amongwhomRamusisthebestknown，hadrecentlyattemptedtoformnewsects。Bacon’sownexpressionsaboutthestateofpublicopinioninthetimeofLutherareclearandstrong:"Accedebat，"sayshe，"odiumetcontemptus，illisipsistemporibusortusergaScholasticos。"Andagain，"Scholasticorumdoctrinadespectuiprorsushabericoepittanquamasperaetbarbara。"[BoththesepassagesareinthefirstbookoftheDeAugmentis。]ThepartwhichBaconplayedinthisgreatchangewasthepart，notofRobespierre，butofBonaparte。Theancientorderofthingshadbeensubverted。Somebigotsstillcherishedwithdevotedloyaltytheremembranceofthefallenmonarchy，andexertedthemselvestoeffectarestoration。Butthemajorityhadnosuchfeeling。Freed，yetnotknowinghowtousetheirfreedom，theypursuednodeterminatecourse，andhadfoundnoleadercapableofconductingthem。
Thatleaderatlengtharose。Thephilosophywhichhetaughtwasessentiallynew。Itdifferedfromthatofthecelebratedancientteachers，notmerelyinmethod，butalsoinobject。Itsobjectwasthegoodofmankind，inthesenseinwhichthemassofmankindalwayshaveunderstoodandalwayswillunderstandthewordgood。"Meditor，"saidBacon，"instaurationemphilosophiaeejusmodiquaenihilinanisautabstractihabeat，quaequevitaehumanaeconditionesinmeliusprovehat。"[RedargutioPhilosophiarum。]
ThedifferencebetweenthephilosophyofBaconandthatofhispredecessorscannot，wethink，bebetterillustratedthanbycomparinghisviewsonsomeimportantsubjectswiththoseofPlato。WeselectPlato，becauseweconceivethathedidmorethananyotherpersontowardsgivingtothemindsofspeculativementhatbentwhichtheyretainedtilltheyreceivedfromBaconanewimpulseinadiametricallyoppositedirection。
Itiscurioustoobservehowdifferentlythesegreatmenestimatedthevalueofeverykindofknowledge。TakeArithmeticforexample。Plato，afterspeakingslightlyoftheconvenienceofbeingabletoreckonandcomputeintheordinarytransactionsoflife，passestowhatheconsidersasafarmoreimportantadvantage。Thestudyofthepropertiesofnumbers，hetellsus，habituatesthemindtothecontemplationofpuretruth，andraisesusabovethematerialuniverse。Hewouldhavehisdisciplesapplythemselvestothisstudy，notthattheymaybeabletobuyorsell，notthattheymayqualifythemselvestobeshopkeepersortravellingmerchants，butthattheymaylearntowithdrawtheirmindsfromtheever—shiftingspectacleofthisvisibleandtangibleworld，andtofixthemontheimmutableessencesofthings。[Plato’sRepublic，Bookvii。]
Bacon，ontheotherhand，valuedthisbranchofknowledge，onlyonaccountofitsuseswithreferencetothatvisibleandtangibleworldwhichPlatosomuchdespised。HespeakswithscornofthemysticalarithmeticofthelaterPlatonists，andlamentsthepropensityofmankindtoemploy，onmeremattersofcuriosity，powersthewholeexertionofwhichisrequiredforpurposesofsolidadvantage。Headvisesarithmeticianstoleavethesetrifles，andtoemploythemselvesinframingconvenientexpressions，whichmaybeofuseinphysicalresearches。[DeAugmentis，Lib。iii。Cap。6。]
ThesamereasonswhichledPlatotorecommendthestudyofarithmeticledhimtorecommendalsothestudyofmathematics。
Thevulgarcrowdofgeometricians，hesays，willnotunderstandhim。Theyhavepracticealwaysinview。Theydonotknowthattherealuseofthescienceistoleadmentotheknowledgeofabstract，essential，eternaltruth。[Plato’sRepublic，Bookvii。]
Indeed，ifwearetobelievePlutarch，Platocarriedthisfeelingsofarthatheconsideredgeometryasdegradedbybeingappliedtoanypurposeofvulgarutility。Archytas，itseems，hadframedmachinesofextraordinarypoweronmathematicalprinciples。
[Plutarch，Sympos。viii。andLifeofMarcellus。ThemachinesofArchytasarealsomentionedbyAulusGelliusandDiogenesLaertius...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：