Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the complex life of Francis Bacon (1561–1626), the English philosopher and statesman who Thomas Jefferson counted among the "three greatest men that have ever lived".

Join us as we explore how a man who was disgraced for political corruption became the "father of empiricism" and a founding figure of the scientific revolution.

Key topics in this episode:

• The Scientific Revolution: How Bacon rejected the "barren" philosophy of Aristotle to champion inductive reasoning and the scientific method. We discuss his major works, Novum Organum and New Atlantis, and his famous maxim, "Knowledge is power".

• Rise to Power: Bacon’s ascent under King James I from Attorney General to Lord Chancellor of England.

• The Fall from Grace: The 1621 scandal where Bacon was charged with 23 counts of corruption and bribery, leading to his imprisonment in the Tower of London and permanent ban from holding office. We ask: was he a corrupt politician or a scapegoat for the King's favorite?.

• Private Life & Controversy: We look at his strained marriage to the young Alice Barnham, whom he eventually disinherited. We also examine the historical evidence regarding Bacon's sexuality, including his relationships with male servants and "masculine love".

• A "Martyr" to Science: The famous (and possibly apocryphal) story of Bacon’s death, caused by pneumonia after he jumped out of a carriage to stuff a chicken with snow to test if cold could preserve meat.

• Legacy: From influencing the Napoleonic Code and the Royal Society to the fringe "Baconian theory" that he secretly wrote the plays of William Shakespeare.

Tune in to understand how the man who wrote that "some books are to be tasted, others swallowed" changed the way we understand the world today.