Francis Bacon

Viscount Saint Alban--or Sir Francis Bacon--was born on January 22 of 1561, and died at the age of 65 on April 9 of 1626. Bacon was best known for his scientific achievements and his philosophical prowess, but he lived a notably incredible life; he was a lawyer, scientist, statesman, philosopher, jurist, and author. He also served as lord chancellor of England from 1618 to 1621, which is a position that outranks even the prime minister, being known for their influence throughout the country. 

Bacon had a considerable influence on the thinking and culture of his day and he was incredibly popular. This popularity was probably because of the various esteemed positions that he held throughout his life. He was also enthralled with the scientific developments that were happening during his life such as gunpowder or the compass, which was reflected in his constant search for improvement. Bacon had a love for discovery and understanding of the truth. His focus was on the useful, practical, and anything that was "useful" meaning he was always looking for ways to advance forward and for new discoveries.

His background as a lawyer definitely had an effect on his later works as a scientist and philosopher. During his time as a lawyer, he strived to reform and systematize England's legal system. The reason Bacon wanted to fix the legal system was so that the truths of the law could be more easily interpreted. His goal was to structure and consolidate the discovery of truth and understanding within the institution.

Francis Bacon was the father of the scientific method. Much like he wanted to make the legal system easier to interpret he he did the same with the discovery of truth. He found the syllogism to be too vague and wanted to find a way that made getting to the truth easier. So he created the scientific method which took a different approach to current understanding and approaching new questions. He also believed that the great scientific discoveries of his time were discovered more by chance that any sort of philosophical pursuit. So it was better than the advancement of truth was the same.

Bacon was also famous for his many essays and letters. He was a prolific writer which was part of the reason he is known to be such a great rhetorician. In one of these, he wrote to the queen promising that if she supported his philosophical pursuits he would give her a library, a garden, a distillery, and a museum. In another one of his writings, he expresses how he believes that the cure for stuttering is to drink wine in moderation, to "warm" the tongue.