In order to answer the question whether the Baconian Age has really and finally come to an end, what is above all important is to give a detailed analysis of the Bacon text to elucidate what the nature of religion is and how he understood the relation ...
In order to answer the question whether the Baconian Age has really and finally come to an end, what is above all important is to give a detailed analysis of the Bacon text to elucidate what the nature of religion is and how he understood the relationship between science/technology and religion. Thus, this study will first introduce his various views on the relationship between religion and science/technology in Bacon's writings ("2. the Relationship between Science and Religion"). Contrary to a prevalent view, Bacon tries to liberate the study of nature from the shackle of religion through the rigorous separation of religion and science, he really insists, religion has the obligation to promote the study of nature. And Bacon also insists, all human knowledge "is to be limited by religion, and to be referred to use and action.” This study will reveal, Bacon really tries to establish a completely new relationship between both ("3. The new Establishment of Relationship between Religion and Science"). At first Bacon says that a deep philosophy leads to theology, "whereof the Philosophy is a key unto the Theology ("3.1 Deep natural philosophy leads people to religion"). And the essence of religion is revealed by the analysis of the human soul that philosophy attempts ("3.2 The analysis of the human soul"). There is a part of the divine soul inside of Human Being which is formed by the breath of God, which is totally different from all the other creatures. Here, there is a "spirit of human (spiritus humanus)" that can grasp the divine Will and divine Power at the same time. According to Bacon, Wisdom (Sapientia) is responsible for this part. That is, wisdom includes science and technology, dealing with all human beings or even the whole destination of human beings, while science and technology are only dealing with knowledge derived from senses. This wisdom leads man to the secret of God and a "more complete interpretation of the moral law", which humans can not grasp by just human reason. Wisdom is a narrow path leading to the awareness of man's inner divine nature, where we can recognize the nature and will of God. This wisdom finally leads the human soul to "goodness of God", and this goodness is nothing but the "divine nature" and "without it humans are only a kind of insect, annoying, harmful and lowly animal." Bacon, then, explains why mankind has suffered constantly from misery, and for the most part it is because mankind has forgotten and abandoned the divine goodness which the wisdom shows us ("4. The cause of loss of human dominance and misery"). In other words, human beings are totally "arrogant" with science and scientific technology, and put "divine wisdom" "under the control of sense and human reason." Therefore, human beings must urgently give priority to the command from the divine part of man, that is, philanthropy (Caritas). Just with this awareness, human beings can now boldly commit themselves to the advancement of science and technology ("5. Bacon's belief and the essence of optimism"). In conclusion ("6. Epilogue"), this paper contradicts researchers claiming the end of the Baconian Age. First, Bacon fully recognized the fact that academic and technological advances are not in line with the progress of morality, and it shows that such discrepancies have brought infinite misery and pain to mankind. Second, Bacon suggests the contribution of Caritas in moral sense as the only means to prevent such misery and misfortune. Third, Bacon points to the fact that the very nature and essence of science and technology is not utilitarianism or pragmatism, but wisdom that shows and reveals the whole destination of human beings and complete moral laws. In conclusion, this paper claims that modernity is still the Baconian Age by showing that Bacon is giving modern people important teachings that can never be ignored in solving the problems of science and technology.