Bacon statue

The first person to propose the slogan "Knowledge is power" was named Francis Bacon. He was a famous materialist philosopher in the Middle Ages. On January 22, 1561, he was born into an aristocratic family in England. As soon as he graduated from Cambridge University, he served in the British Embassy. He later succeeded as a member of parliament, keeper of the seal and Lord Chancellor, and was made a Viscount. He was very interested in philosophy and resigned from his official position in his later years to specialize in philosophy and scientific research.

He compared scholastic philosophy to an idol, and believed that in order to obtain real knowledge, one must break the idol, directly observe and study nature, and through experiments and scientific induction can we get a correct understanding. When summarizing Bacon's epistemology, Marx pointed out: "Science is an experimental science, and the scientific method lies in using rational methods to organize perceptual materials. Induction, analysis, comparison, observation and experimentation are rational methods and important conditions. "Bacon put forward the important role of practice in understanding and the idea that practice tests truth and practice determines scientific value, which was great at that time. However, Bacon was a "double truth theory". He believed that truth came from the understanding of objective practice and also recognized the existence of God, so he was not a thorough materialist.