Roger Bacon

The summarized details of Roger Bacon life and theory

Roger Bacon, also known as Doctor Mirabilis, a Latin name meaning excellent teacher,
was born in the early 13th century; although his exact date and place of birth remain uncertain, it
is alleged that Bacon was born between c. 1210 to 1215 in Gloucester, Bisley, or Somerset in
England and later in 1292. Bacon was an educational reformer and English philosopher who
played a significant role in promoting medieval experimental science (Taliaferro, 2019). Bacon
joined Oxford University, where he pursued languages, alchemy, optics, astronomy, and
mathematics. Hitherto, Bacon is widely known for being the first European to give a detailed
description of the procedure used to make gunpowder as well as proposing motorized carriages
and ships, and flying machines (Rodriguez, 2013). He displayed a prodigious zeal and energy in
pursuing experimental science, which made him famous during his time as well as earning him
a place in popular literature as a type of wonder-working person. This depicts Bacon as a
historically intelligent individual with an empirical zeal for experimental science, although in a
practical sense, his actual participation seems to be exaggerated.
Roger was born and raised in a wealthy neighborhood, granting him sufficient and
friendly conditions that enabled him to gather rich knowledge about classics as well as enjoy
the privileges of medieval training in astronomy, music, arithmetic, and geometry. Bacon later
became a lecturer in Paris, where he is thought to have acquired his master’s degree in arts
(Crowley, 2020). During the early part of Bacon’s career, he was a lecturer of pseudo-
Aristotelian treatises and Aristotelian, both of which are in the faculty of arts. This obscured his
ambition and innate drive to join his science preoccupation, which manifested later in his
career (Taliaferro, 2019). Bacon’s lectures in Paris are essential because they enable scholars to
formulate and execute ideas around the work done by Bacon’s predecessor, who pioneered the
introduction of Aristotle into Europe.
The study shows that a substantial change took shape in the intellectual development of
Bacon about the 1247 century. Henceforth, Bacon redirected much of his energy and time as well
as vast sums of money to acquire secret books, in experimental research, the constriction of
tables and instruments, seek friendship with servants, and train his assistants
(Rodriguez, 2013). These activities marked Bacon’s defined departure from the arts and successful
transition to the faculty of experimental sciences. Bacon’s shift was hugely attributed to the
influence he received from Robert Grosseteste, as well as his return to Oxford University
(Crowley, 2020). Bacon would then devote his strength and time to nurturing the fields of
learning, including alchemy, optics, and languages, as well as furthering his studies in
mathematics and astronomy.
According to Lindberg, Bacon accomplishes an elaborate philosophy of physical force,
which is diffused from religious, moral, and psychological interpretations. Lindberg further notes
that Bacon does not only embark on this task with elaborate illumination of a plurality of forms,
universal hylomorphism, soul separation, and intellect (Crowley, 2020). Instead, Bacon presents
a comprehensive model of the physics of light. Bacon became the first philosopher to provide a
clear separation between spiritual beings and domains for material in the Latin world. Bacon
adamantly believes in the fact that material and spiritual beings are utterly separate. He further
claims that, more often than not, natural causation may occur naturally according to the law of

nature or conventional processes. What society was like during Roger Bacon’s life, and how it contribute to the shaping of his views on faith and reason. According to the theories of the Middle Ages, the introduction and spread of religious practices, particularly Christianity into the Roma Empire and other European countries, sparked a wide array of challenges and hurdles similar to the adversities experienced by pagans. People
developed identical solutions to address their unending problems. Such solutions include
identifying Greek, Roman, and northern gods, as well as resorting to etymologies, which had a
lot to do with superficial identities of names (Burns, 2012). During Roger Bacon’s life, religion
was first gaining momentum when the Christianization of the northern countries was taking effect
through the addition of European elements. At the same time, Islamic theology was
shaping and impacting Western Christianity, mainly through medieval scholastic theories where the
values of revelation and reason were upheld (Crowley, 2020). Between 1179 and 1241 AD, the
knowledge Muslims had regarding other religions was far more advanced compared to the
European culture, thanks to Ibn Hazm, a theologian of the 10th century (994–1064).
However, the reports about European pilgrims such as Odoric of Pordenone (14th
century), and the Italian Marco Polo (c. 1254–1324) helped to enlighten Westerners and
inform them about Asian religions. Moreover, the knowledge opened an avenue that fostered a
less speculative and more factual treatment of other religions’ phenomena (Bacon, 2013).
However, this was an even more confusing episode not only to Bacon but also to other believers
because it sparked lots of tension from different religious leaders who were trying to lay an
unprecedented and undisputable foundation for their religion. The pressure was meant to lure
believers to that religion, which they felt best serves their interests.
Besides, the theories of reformation and renaissance were rooted in European culture
and invigorated through the reinvention of Roman and Greek philosophy, literature, and art.
These theories were bound to stir division and establish tension between pagans and Christians.
The existence of two extremities comprising Christians and pagans necessitated the need for
Bacon devised and enforced radical reforms in education, with a particular interest in
theological study (Burns, 2012). Bacon put more emphasis on the study of the Bible as well as
the classical theorists in their native languages and less focus on minor philosophical
distinctions. The throes of the religious climate encouraged Bacon to urge teachers and theologians to
redirect their attention to carefully studying experimental and scientific studies (Crowley, 2020).
He also called them to over-rely on the available authority because he was obsessed with
innovative approaches to acquiring knowledge and understanding of the world and how it
operates. As a result, this shaped Bacon’s faith in God and reason through his innate capacity to
know God, which enabled him to discern some elements of truth propagated by other religious
doctrines.

Roger Bacon
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