Page 46 - DENG502_PROSE

Prose Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University

Notes
Unit 4 : Francis Bacon–Of Truth: Detailed Study

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
4.1 Essay - Of Truth
4.2 Summary
4.3 Key-Words
4.4 Review Questions
4.5 Further Readings

Objectives
After reading this Unit students will be able to:
• Discuss Bacon as a thinker.
• Explain the essay ‘Of Truth’.

Introduction

As a pragmatic and as an empirical thinker Bacon subscribed two fundamental Renaissance ideals—
Sepantia (search for knowledge) and Eloquentia (the art of rhetoric). Here in the essay Of Truth he
supplements his search for truth by going back to the theories of the classical thinkers and also by
taking out analogies from everyday life. It is to be noted here that his explication of the theme is
impassioned and he succeeds in providing almost neutral judgements on the matter. Again, it is
seen that Bacon’s last essays, though written in the same aphoristic manner, stylistically are
different in that he supplied more analogies and examples to support or explain his arguments. As
this essay belongs to the latter group, we find ample analogies and examples. Bacon, while
explaining the reasons as to why people evade truth, talks of the Greek philosophical school of
sceptics, set up by Pyrro. Those philosophers would question the validity of truth and constantly
change their opinions. Bacon says that now people are like those philosophers with the important
difference that they lack their force and tenacity of argument. He says that like him the Greek
philosopher Lucian was equally puzzled at the fact that people are more attracted to lies and are
averse to truth. Bacon is surprised by the fact that people are loathed to find out or even acknowledge
truth in life. It seems to him that this is an innate human tendency to do so. He finds evidence in
support of his arguments in the behaviour of the ancient Greek sceptics who used to question the
validity of truth and would have no fixed beliefs. Bacon thinks that people behave like those
philosophers. But he understands that they lack their strength of arguments. He then finds the
Greek philosopher Lucian, while considering the matter, was equally baffled. Lucian investigated
and found that poets like lies because those provides pleasure, and that businessmen have to tell
lies for making profit. But he could not come to a definite conclusion as to why people should love
lies. Bacon says that men love falsehood because truth is like the bright light of the day and would
show up pomp and splendour of human life for what they are. They look attractive and colourful
in the dim light of lies. Men prefer to cherish illusions, which make life more interesting. Bacon
here gives an interesting analogy of truth and falsehood. He says that the value of truth is like that
of a pearl, which shines best in the day-light, while a lie is like a diamond or carbuncle, which
shines best producing varied rays in dim light of candles. He comes to the conclusion that people

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