Roger Bacon, O.F.M. (1214–94,) was an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empirical methods. He is sometimes credited, mainly starting in the 19th century, as one of the earliest European advocates of the modern scientific method inspired by Aristotle and later Arabic scholars, such as those of Muslim scientist Alhazen. However, more recent reevaluations emphasize that he was essentially a medieval thinker, with much of his “experimental” knowledge obtained from books, in the scholastic tradition. A survey of the reception of Bacon’s work over centuries found it often reflects the concerns and controversies central to the receivers.
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Reasoning draws a conclusion and makes us grant the conclusion, but does not make the conclusion certain, nor does it remove doubt.
—Roger Bacon
The strongest arguments prove nothing so long as the conclusions are not verified by experience. Experimental science is the queen of sciences and the goal of all speculation.
—Roger Bacon
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