Sir Francis Bacon, the Father of the Scientific Method Bacon, Sir Francis, the Father of the Scientific Method Author Tristan Taylor Supervising Editor Melissa Walter Editor Kate McPherson Copy Editor Leah Hamby Senior Encoder Leah Hamby Encoding and Metadata LEMDO Team Copyright Holder (Content) Kate McPherson Copyright Holder (XML and interface) University of Victoria Early Modern England EncyclopediaEMEE

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Early Modern England Encyclopedia

By Tristan Taylor, inspired by Michael Best’s Shakespeare’s Life and Times, Internet Shakespeare Editions

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The image shows an open book with a potrait of bearded man wearing a hihg-crowned hat, large ruff, and elaborate doublet on the left and a title page on the right. Of The Advancment and Proficiencie of Learning: or the Paritions of Sciences by Sir Francis Bacon, in a 1674 edition of his 1605 publication. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.

Sir Francis Bacon, 1561–1626, was an innovative writer, politician, and father of the induction method, better known today as the Scientific Method. His work shaped the future of scientific study. Much of his revolutionary work took place during his time in political office as attorney general of England and Wales from 1613–-1617 and later service as the lord high chancellor of England till 1621. He used his power and influence to change the usually private study of science into one shared through individuals and sometimes receiving state funding. As he worked to publicize active research, Bacon realized scientists needed to use a method which could be easily understood; this led to the development of Bacon’s Scientific Method.

The Scientific Method

The method in its simplest state requires the experimenter to categorize their study into six basic steps: Form a question based on observations Form a hypothesis Make a prediction Conduct testing Analyze data Report conclusions

These six distinct steps quickly became the standard for experimentation in the early 1600s. The rise in popularity regarding the method led Bacon to elaborate on his original work written in 1605 to develop his method in greater detail, resulting in his philosophical book, Novum Organum, to be published in 1620. This foundational text quickly influenced scientists around the globe as a benchmark for scientific study and became the most popular method of study today. Researchers today use scientific processes derived from Bacon’s Induction Method.

Impact on Early Modern Literature

Bacon’s work on the scientific method was inspired by his passion for knowledge; in fact, it was he who famously stated that knowledge is power. His striving for knowledge was shared with playwrights. Literary critics like Carla Mazzio have stated that science and literature must have some kind of dialogue with each other in order to create a sense of realism and accuracy for audiences in their time.

As Natalie Eliot claims, Shakespeare explores the philosophical, psychological, and cultural impact of many more scientific fields besides human anatomy, reflecting poetically on theories about germs, atoms, matter, falling bodies, planetary motion, heliocentrism, alchemy, the humors, algebra, Arabic numerals, Pythagorean geometry, the number zero, and the infinite. The inquiries that drove Renaissance science, and the universe it disclosed, are deeply integrated into Shakespeare’s poetic worlds. (32)

Readers and audiences enjoy what they can relate to and understand, so a reference to astrology, the use of a newly discovered poison, or medical practices congruent with the times of the playwright are all examples of tactics Shakespeare used to convey science in his plays.Other playwrights such as Ben Jonson also frequently referenced scientific discoveries or trends in their works, such as in Jonson’s 1610 play The Alchemist.

Key Print Sources Bynum, William. A Little History of Science. Yale University Press, 2012. Elliot, Natalie. Shakespeare’s Worlds of Science. The New Atlantis, no. 54, Jan. 2018, pp. 30–50. Mazzio, Carlo. Introduction: Shakespeare and Science, c. 1600. South Central Review, vol. 26, no. 1/2, 2009, pp. 1–23.
Key Online Sources Best, Michael. Francis Bacon and the scientific method. Shakespeare’s Life and Times. Internet Shakespeare Editions. 4 Jan. 2011. https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/ideas/new%20knowledge/bacon.html. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026. Experimental Method. Biology 117. Colby College. https://www.colby.edu/reload/biology/BI17x/expt_method.html. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023. Falk, Dan. What Shakespeare Knew about Science <supplied>Excerpt</supplied>. Scientific American, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2014, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-shakespeare-knew-about-science-excerpt/. Klein, Jürgen, and Guido Giglioni. Francis Bacon. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 7 Dec. 2012, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/francis-bacon/.
Image Sources Bacon, Francis. Title page of Of The Advancment and Proficiencie of Learning: or the Paritions of Sciences. 1674. Printed. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Francis_Bacon_Advancement_of_Learning_1674.jpg.