Georgics of the mind and the architecture of fortune: Francis Bacon's therapeutic ethics

This essay complements recent work by Soreana Corneanu situating Bacon’s epistemology in a larger lineage of literature concerning ‘cultura animi’ in early modern Europe, by focusing on Bacon’s conception of a therapeutic philosophical ‘Georgics of the mind’ in The Advancement of Learning, the Essays, and other texts. We aim to show firstly (in Part 2) how Bacon’s conception of human nature, and the importance of habit and custom, reflects the ancient pagan thinkers’ justifications of philosophical therapeutics. Attention will also be paid in this connection to Bacon’s sensitivity to another marker of ancient therapeutic philosophy as Pierre Hadot in particular has recently presented it: the proliferation of different rhetorical and literary forms aiming at different pedagogic, therapeutic, and psychogogic aims. Part 3 then will examine Bacon’s changes in practical or ‘magistral’ philosophy, carried out on the therapeutic ethical grounds which Part 2 has examined, but proposing a much more active ‘architecture of fortune’ to philosophical and political aspirants.

The essays : or councils, civil and moral, of Sir Francis Bacon, ... With a table of the colours of good and evil. And a discourse of the wisdom of the ancients. To which is added, The character of Queen Elizabeth

The 'Table of colours' has separate pagination and half-title; 'The wisdom of the ancients,' which is translated by Sir Arthur Gorges, has separate pagination and titlepage p.135 misnumbered 145

El hombre como demiurgo en el pensamiento de Francis Bacon

Fil: Manzo, Silvia Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.

Manzo, Silvia. Entre el atomismo y la alquimia: la teoría de la materia de Francis Bacon. Buenos Aires, Biblos, 2006, 261 pp.

Fil: Calvente, Sofía Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.

El hombre como demiurgo en el pensamiento de Francis Bacon

Fil: Manzo, Silvia Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.

Manzo, Silvia. Entre el atomismo y la alquimia: la teoría de la materia de Francis Bacon. Buenos Aires, Biblos, 2006, 261 pp.

Fil: Calvente, Sofía Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.

Six years in Biscay : comprising a personal narrative of the sieges of Bilbao, in June 1835 and Oct. to Dec. 1836 and of the principals events which occurred in that city and the Basque provinces during the years 1830 to 1837 / by John Francis Bacon.

Digitalización Vitoria-Gasteiz Archivos y Bibliotecas Abril 1994 18-11

Francis Bacon,

Book-plate of Dr. Ernest Lewis McEwen.

Francis Bacon's works (Acknowledged, vizarded, or suspected) Catalogued in order of printed date, with notes.

Mode of access: Internet.