An examination of the philosophy of Bacon : wherein different questions of rational philosophy are treated

An Examination of the Philosophy of Bacon is one of Joseph de Maistre's most original and important works. Best known for his defence of throne and altar and for his critique of the political and religious thought of the Enlightenment, Maistre also addressed more fundamental philosophical issues. His critique of Bacon, written between 1814 and 1816, is a vigorous attack on the materialism and scientism that he believed characterized the thought of the French philosophes. "An Examination of the Philosophy of Bacon is one of Joseph de Maistre's most original and important works. Probably best known for his defence of throne and altar and for his critique of the political and religious thought of the Enlightenment, Maistre also addressed more fundamental philosophical issues. His critique of Bacon is a vigorous attack on the materialism and scientism that he judged characterized the thought of the French philosophes. Although often neglected, this work is crucial for an understanding of Maistre's epistemology, which formed the philosophical basis for his critique of modern science as well as for his criticisms of other aspects of Enlightenment thought. Given Maistre's stature in the history of conservative thought, his critique of Bacon remains significant for what it tells us about Maistre's own thought, for what it reveals about attitudes toward science in his time, and for its relevance for issues that remain under debate today. The work is also a showcase for Maistre's polemical skills and his powerful prose style." "This volume provides an annotated translation of Maistre's complete text, an Introduction that places the work in the context of Maistre's life and offers a critical exposition and assessment of his criticisms of Bacon, Biographical Notes on persons cited or mentioned by Maistre, and a Bibliography."--Résumé de l'éditeur This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Examen De La Philosophie De Bacon: Ou L'on Traite Diffrentes Questions De Philosophie Rationnelle; Examen De La Philosophie De Bacon: Ou L'on Traite Diffrentes Questions De Philosophie Rationnelle; Joseph De Maistre Joseph de Maistre Poussielgue-Rusand, 1836 Philosophy; History & Surveys; Modern; Biography & Autobiography / Literary; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern; Philosophy / Movements / Rationalism Although often neglected, An Examination of the Philosophy of Bacon is crucial to understand the epistemological basis for Maistre's critique of modern science as well as his criticisms of other aspects of Enlightenment thought. Given Maistre's stature in the history of conservative thought, his critique of Bacon remains significant for what it tells us about Maistre's own thought, what it reveals about attitudes toward science in his time, and what it contributes to issues that are still debated today. The work also showcases Maistre's polemical skills and his powerful prose style. Richard Lebrun's annotated translation includes Maistre's complete text, an extensive introduction that places the work in context and provides a critical exposition and assessment of Maistre's criticisms of Bacon, biographical notes on persons cited or mentioned by Maistre, and a bibliography. Differences between Maistre's manuscript and the printed text, first published fifteen years after the author's death, are noted, and Maistre's numerous citations have been identified, verified, and translated, making this the only authoritative and fully accurate edition of the work in either French or English. Contents Preface Introduction Bibliography Biographical Notes on Persons Cited or Mentioned by Joseph de Maistre A Note on the Text Abbreviations An Examination of the Philosophy of Bacon PART ONE: LOGIC AND THE RATIONAL SCIENCES 1 Novum organum – Induction and Syllogism Appendix to Chapter 1 2 Of Experience and of the Genius of Discoveries 3 Continuation of the Same Subject 4 Of Essences and of Their Definitions 5 Cosmology and the System of the World 6 The Ebb and Flow of the Seas 7 Motion 8 Natural History and General Physics 9 Optics – The Progression of Light 10 Experiments and Physical Explanations 11 Meteorology 12 The General Goal of Bacon's Philosophy BOOK TWO: METAPHYSICS 1 Of God and of Intelligence 2 Of the Soul 3 Of the Origin of Spontaneous Motion and of Motion in General 4 Of the Senses and of the Sensible Principle 5 Of Matter and of the Principle of Things 6 Final Causes 7 The Union of Religion and Science 8 Bacon's Religion 9 Bacon Judged by his Translator – Conclusion Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z An Examination of the Philosophy of Bacon is one of Joseph de Maistre's most original and important works. Written between 1814 and 1816, it is a vigorous attack on the materialism and scientism that he believed characterized the thought of the French philosophes.Richard Lebrun's annotated translation includes Maistre's complete text, an extensive introduction that places the work in context and provides a critical exposition and assessment of Maistre's criticisms of Bacon, biographical notes on persons cited or mentioned by Maistre, and a bibliography. Differences between Maistre's manuscript and the printed text, first published fifteen years after the author's death, are noted, and Maistre's numerous citations have been identified, verified, and translated, making this the only authoritative and fully accurate edition of the work in either French or English.