Empiricism
Empiricism is one of the concepts for which Bacon is best known. He is often referred to as the father of Empiricism. Empiricism is a philosophical school of thought that maintains that true knowledge derives from sensory experience rather than an innate human existence. It is empiricism and the notion that one's interactions in and with the world dictate one's beliefs that ultimately leads to Bacon's more detailed explanations of induction and the scientific method.
Truth and Perception
Because of the inherent limitations of perception, Bacon spends a long time considering truth and human perception. He observes that humans understand their perceptions are limited, but without clearly demonstrating how exactly those limitations shape human consciousness, we might be leaving free knowledge on the table. He explains that in addition to the native limitations of the human mind, we are also limited by ideas shared in our culture, such as the artistic and economic shape of our respective cultures.
Culture and Community as Obstacles
Bacon writes that in order to become a philosopher in the true sense of the word, to be a pursuer of actual truth, one must be ready to accept the shame and opposition that come when one passes the cultural ideas of one's community. The community will not really appreciate that, says Bacon. Therefore, the love and support of one's community goes from being a good thing to a restrictive obstacle that must be overcome, so that a person can think clearly without prejudice.
Systematic Approaches to Knowledge
Bacon's essays gradually point the reader to the need for some new approach to knowledge. He urges the reader to consider the tasks of gaining and categorizing knowledge. In his essay about knowledge, he urges his reader to differentiate between commonly held beliefs and actual knowledge, because knowledge might be available past the illusion of belief. He also argues that learning is more than just the acquisition of knowledge, saying that to learn is to undergo a transformation of consciousness. We will become more likely to receive new information the more humble we are about our current beliefs.
Scientific Study
Bacon's essays take a logical turn toward the various sciences, because he says that there are obviously categories of knowledge that emerge as one tries to be scientific. He outlines several schools of scientific study, claiming that medicine can be studied scientifically. He also outlines his curiosity in chemistry stemming from his alchemical studies, arguing for a more standardized chemistry. He also outlines the need for taxonomy in the sciences so that a scientific language can emerge.
God's Role in Learning
While Bacon's focus is often on science and learning, these meditations almost always appear in tandem with Bacon's praise of God and organized religion. Far from seeing science and religion as contentious opposites, Bacon advances the notion that learning and the acquisition of knowledge are guided by God's grace. In The New Atlantis, Bacon details a utopian society in which the land itself – and its government-sanctioned dedication to learning everything there is to know about the universe – is divinely inspired.
Friendship
One surprising subject that Bacon approaches with an analytical perspective is friendship. While Bacon argues throughout his major works for a rigorous and dedicated pursuit of knowledge (something one might consider a solitary or individual pursuit), he also emphasizes the importance of friendship as a natural and beneficial human pursuit. Friendship, he argues, is comparable to a medicine – just as certain remedies target different areas of the body, Bacon proposes that "no receipt openeth the heart, but a true friend" (391).
