The New Organon Literary Elements

Treatise (philosophy, science)

Written in Latin, published in England in 1620 after Bacon's fall from political power

Written in a generic third-person nonfiction style, from the point of view of Francis Bacon, a revolutionary thinker and politician with a profound irreverence for tradition

Impersonal, scientific

In a sense, Bacon considers himself the protagonist and Aristotle the antagonist in this ideological revolution, making this unassuming philosophical treatise a weapon in a fierce war.

Bacon considers the philosophy of Aristotle (the predominant ideal of the time) contemptible, despising his reliance on a priori assumptions and instead proposing a complete renewal of the field of logic from the ground up, relying entirely on experience.

By the end of the work, Bacon's philosophy has reached a culminating manifestation, the revelation of which might be considered a climax.

In his dedication to James I, Bacon's understated references to his own revolutionary beliefs foreshadow their eventual description, albeit with less drama than a traditional instance of foreshadowing.

"Neither the naked hand nor the understanding left to itself can effect much." (Aphorism II, Book I)

Bacon makes many allusions to the Bible and to Greek myth throughout the work, and especially to the work of Aristotle, whom he attacks quite severely at great length.

Bacon asserts that nearly all previous scientific endeavors were hampered by pre-existing philosophy, and none of them were done quite correctly, causing the pursuit of knowledge via experience an incomplete, circular, and self-propagating task, using the imagery of a repetitive and ineffectual cycle. By contrast, he proposes a "Great Renewal" - a new beginning, building a system of knowledge from the ground up, and thereby breaking this scientific cycle to finally reach the end of the chain of reasoning.

Bacon claims to have a problem with a priori reasoning - that is, taking some assumptions for granted before building off of them. He instead proposes that we start from the ground up, taking nothing for granted - but that assertion in itself he assumes to be true and worthwhile, meaning in attacking traditional logic he has used traditional logic, creating a confusing and self-defeating paradox.

In his presentation of his ideas in a set of aphorisms, Bacon parallels many thinkers who came before him, while ironically using their format to mock their ideas.

Throughout the work, Bacon uses "Aristotle" as a metonym for the entire philosophical output of Aristotle for ease of reference, making it seem like he's attacking the man when he is in fact attacking his published works.

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