Analysis on Of studies essay by Francis Bacon

I just finished the morning session of my first writing skills workshop led by Miss Usha Alexander. A
very interesting and useful workshop because I always wanted to hone my writing skills. We analysed the essay
Of studies which is a part of The Essayes or Counsels, Civil and Moral, written by Francis Bacon. He is
considered the father of the English essay. Bacons main purpose of this essay is to examine the benefits and
effects of studies.

Bacon expresses that studies serve for Delight, for Ornament, and for Ability. For delight, Bacon
means ones personal, private education; for Ornament, he means in conversation between and among others,
which Bacon labels as Discourse. Studies for Ability lead one to judgment in business and related
pursuits. From Bacons perspective, men with skilled experience can carry out plans and understand particular
circumstances, but men who study are better able to understand important political matters and know how to
deal with problem according to their severity like Marshalling of Affairs.

Bacon encourages studies but at the same time, he warns that 1) too much studying leads to laziness; 2)
if one uses ones knowledge too often in conversation with others, then one is showing off; and 3) to be guided
solely by ones studies one becomes a scholar rather than a practical man. Bacons argument about the value of
studies is that studies are wonderful only if influenced by experience because a persons natural abilities are
enhanced by studies, but studies without experience, lead to confusion.

According to Bacon, tricky men condemn education; stupid men admire education; but wise men use
education as their real world experience dictates. He warns the educated man not to use his education
to argument unnecessarily with others; not to assume that education always leads to the correct behavior or
understanding; not to use education merely to focus on conversation with others. Rather, Bacon argues,
education some books are to be tasted should be read but their advice ignored; other books should be
swallowed meaning ignored completely; and a few books are to be Chewed and Digested, that is, understood
perfectly and used to guide behavior. In addition, Bacon advises that some books can be read by others, who
take notes, and the notes can substitute for reading an entire bookbut these books should be those that cover
less important subjects.

Bacon comes back to addressing the effects of reading, conversation and writing. He also says that if a
man writes very little then he must have a huge memory to compensate for what he is not writing. If a man
cannot converse properly then he must be very quick witted. And if he doesnt read much he needs to be able to
fake it to pretend that he knows more than the others.

History, Bacon argues, makes men wise; poetry, clever; mathematics, intellectually sharp; logic and
rhetoric, skilled in argument. Further, Bacon believes that there is no problem that cannot be fixed by the
appropriate studyjust as the right physical exercise cures physical illnesses. Every disorder of the mind has a
curefor example, if a man cannot use one set of facts to prove or illustrate the truth of an unrelated set of facts,
Bacon advises the study of law.

Every defect in thinking can be cured by a form of study. Overall it was an excellent piece of writing, I
think the most interesting part is the way its constructed with a rhythm. I think its important to follow the
patterns and sometimes do a little deviation from it to bring the curiosity into the readers mind. Even though it
is a little too elaborative about the various exercises to prevent diseases was not actually effective.

I have tried to summarise each stanza with a single sentence.

Study is enjoyable and builds character.

Done in private, study can help us relax and sharpen our wits.

Study helps us make informed decisions across a broad range of subjects.

Be careful not to over indulge in study as this leads to laziness, pretentiousness or insularity

Knowledge improves experience and experience improves knowledge

Do not condemn nor admire study but use it and you will be rewarded

One does not study in order to win or to know or to impress but to understand better

Consider the value of the material that you study and dont lose track of your goal

Seek assistance when necessary but always remember the value of discovering for yourself

Read, discuss and then write to gain the fullest understanding of the subject

If you do not write, discuss or read then you better have some other skill or else appear stupid

Each area of study brings with it certain advantages which are all valuable in their own way

Study improves character and there is no fault of character that cannot benefit from the right kind of study

If you cant concentrate then study maths. the nature of maths trains the mind in concentration.

If you cant compare and contrast then go to university. Universities specialise in this technique.

If you cant formulate a sound argument then study law to learn that skill.

"So every defect of the mind," may be mended with the appropriate study and practise.

Francis Bacon is a very important figure in the history of knowledge, and we can learn a lot from his essay, Of
Studies today.

Of Studies was published in 1597, less than 100 years after the Gutenberg printing press began to make
written material available to more people. People were learning to read, but, unless they attended university,
they did not know how to read well.

Of Studies explains how we can read and study and get the most benefit out of it. It connects learning and
self-improvement in a very practical way.

We can still learn from this essay today. Although print media are being replaced by the web, it is just as
important as ever to know how to read and study well.

The main challenge in understanding Of Studies is that the language is slightly out of date. Some of the words
have changed meaning. The whole essay is very short and worth a bit of careful study itself.

Bacon opens by asserting three purposes for reading: delight - reading for the fun of it; ornament - being able to
show off that we know stuff; and ability. The rest of the essay focuses on study to increase our ability to
succeed in life.
He makes an important point in saying that we do not need to read every book all the way through; we can skim
or select passages.

The central theme of the essay is that specific fields of study sharpen the mind in specific ways. Study, Bacon
asserts, is for the mind what exercise is for the body. We would exercise one way to be able to run faster, and
another way to be able to dance. And we would choose which exercise depending on what we wanted to
achieve and also on an honest assessment of our weaknesses.

In this mode, Bacon recommends:

To become wise, study history.

To become sharp and clear with language, study poetry.
To understand things deeply, study science.
To be worthy of being listened, study ethics.
To be able to think things through and make a case, study logic and the arts of writing and speaking.
To be more precise and less ADD, study math, especially proofs.
To learn precision, study the medieval philosophers.
To link ideas and prove one thing from another, study the law.
This advice is as good today as it was 400 years ago.

An analysis Of Studies by Francis Bacon

The purpose of this work is to analyze Sixteen Century Francis Bacons essay Of Studies by
summarizing its main points and the relevance of its statements to this day. Francis Bacon was an English
Philosopher and writer best known as a founder of the modern empirical tradition based on the rational analysis
of data obtained by observation and experimentation of the physical world.

The main focus of Bacons essay rests on explaining to the reader the importance of study knowledge in
terms of its practical application towards the individual and its society.

His first analysis is an exposition on the purposes or uses that different individuals can have by
approaching Study for delight, ornament, and for ability- And how certain professions are better served by
individuals with study knowledge. As he mentions the virtues of Study he also points out its vices: To spend
too much time in study is sloth Also, how Study influences our understanding of Nature, and in opposition,
how our experience of Nature bounds our acquired knowledge. After that, the Author presents the concept of
how different individuals with different mental abilities and interests in life, approach the idea of studying

Crafty men contemn studies- and offers advice on how study should be applied: but to weight and
consider- Then Bacon goes into expressing his ideas in how the means to acquire study knowledge, books, can
be categorized and read according to their content and value to the individual. The benefits of studying are
Bacons final approach. Benefits in terms of defining a Man by its ability to read, write or confer, and in
terms of being the medicine for any impediment in the wit and by giving receipts to every defect of the
mind.

Certainly, some of Francis Bacons insights in this subject are of value after 400 years of societal
evolution. We can ascertain this when we read the phrase They perfect Nature, and are perfected by
experience Nevertheless some of the concepts expressed in his Essay have to be understood through the
glass of time. By this I mean Society values and concepts were different altogether to what we know today. By
that time Society was strongly influenced by the idea of literacy and illiteracy (relatively few were educated and
could read and write). Only educated people had access to knowledge and by that, to social status and
opportunity. Nowadays would be difficult to accept ideas which relate skills or professions towards an attitude
to approach studying. Today, a skilled machinist or carpenter can certainly be a studied person. Nowadays most
people in our Society have the possibility to read and by that, to obtain knowledge independently of what our
personal choices are in terms of profession. Also we must consider how today we value the specialization of
knowledge which in the past, characterized by a more generic and limited access to knowledge, wasnt a major
factor into the conceptualization and understanding of study knowledge as to the extent we see it today.

Finally, it is doubtful that the benefits of studying can be approached as a recipe for any intellectual
illness. We now know that the real illnesses are related to mental conditions and not necessarily to our mental
skills, abilities or lack of them and by that I mean that Bacons solutions to those conditions are substantially
nave under the actual understanding of Human Psychology.

Concepts and ideas evolve at the same time as the Human condition changes in all social, scientific,
political and economic aspects. By looking through the glass of time and comparing the past to the present we
come to the realization of the universality and endurance of some concepts and the fragility and impermanence
of some others.

PURPOSE of BACONS OF STUDIES

The essay Of Studies by Francis Bacon is brilliantly constrained and put together, with no wasted time
going in to explaining what the purposes of studies are. His essay is informative and simple, until it introduces
the complex ideas of how to read. Its ironic that Bacon instructs his opinions on how to read through the
medium of an essay to his audience. Although he tries to voice his abstract ideals on different matters, including
studies, what continues to bewilder me is the territory in which he does so. Bacon decides to write these
different viewpoints in an essay, but how exactly do we figure their true purpose when a form such as the essay
was not yet widely popular between 16th century England? Why not bring about ideals on studies, single life,
and truth in verse?

Since Francis Bacon was virtually born into nobility, when reading his essays I felt that Bacon realized
that he was merely writing for the production of information and his ideals, in contrast to writers such as John
Donne who were circulating their writings in effort to gain momentum for the Inns of Court. According to
Stanley Fish, Bacon wrote about the orderly disposition of everything in the universewhile acknowledging his
(and our) distance from it (Fish), but does this make his writings stronger or weaker than someone such as
Donne who wrote with a goal in mind that was not so abstract? In plain context, I believe that a writer such as
Francis Bacon were merely writing to voice an opinion (whether or not it is his, we can not be positive) and
writers such as Donne and Shakespeare were writing to an audience in which they felt they must please and
entertain. In either situation, opinions are still being given, but I believe that Bacon has the purist intent.

Another questioning factor dealing with the motive of Bacons writings (including Of Studies) is the
idea that since his essays were published in three editions, he was constantly reworking them and rewriting his
opinions. Similarly, writers such as John Donne and Shakespeare also did this, but I believe that Donne rewrote
to appease his coterie, whereas Bacon was rewriting to appease himself. Writing is rewriting, and Bacon
realized that to explore the unknown universe and its orderly disposition, he had to keep on reworking his
beliefs and opinions, thus making them more purposeful than simply to please others.