Francis Bacon’s Natural Philosophy and the Laws of Nature

This book offers a uniquely comprehensive and authoritative account of the natural philosophy and of the conception of the laws of nature by Francis Bacon, one of the leading English reformers of natural science and an inspirer of the Scientific Revolution. The first part of the book focuses on the concepts central to his natural philosophy which are keys to understanding his account of the laws of nature, including his account of the creation of the universe and the several great stages of nature, of necessity and chance in natural events, the theory of matter and motion, and his cosmology. The second part examines four types of entities that explain the regularity of nature and shows how they form a system. This part also addresses a full interpretation of his controversial concept of forms, the relation of Bacon’s natural philosophy to his jurisprudence, provides a new insight into Bacon’s approach of induction, and discusses the relation between his speculative philosophy and his method. It is argued that Bacon has a unique view of the laws of nature which can be seen as a transition from ancient, medieval, and Renaissance approaches to early modern views.

Francis Bacon’s Natural Philosophy and the Laws of Nature will be of special interest to Francis Bacon scholars, historians of Renaissance and early modern philosophy and science, historians of law, historians of theology, Renaissance scholars and early modern English studies scholars.