Known as the Early Journal Content, this set of works include research articles, news, letters, and other writings published in more than 200 of the oldest leading academic journals. The works date from the mid--seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. We encourage people to read and share the Early Journal Content openly and to tell others that this resource exists. People may post this content online or redistribute in any way for non--commercial purposes. Read more about Early Journal

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... ntent at http://about.jstor.org/participate--jstor/individuals/early-journal--content. JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary source objects. JSTOR helps people discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content through a powerful research and teaching platform, and preserves this content for future generations. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not--for--profit organization that also includes Ithaka S+R and Portico. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. THE TRUE ROGER BACON, II WE turn from Bacon's criticism to ask what constructive contributions he made in the direction of modern thought, and, on the other lhand, what ideas, now obsolete, still persisted in his philosophy. We cannot regard his mere interest in natural science as especially noteworthy, since many men of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries wrote on nature and even showed signs of an independent scientific spirit. The question therefore becomes whether his method of studying nature was superior to theirs, whether he xvas unique in such things as his advocacy of mathematics and of experimental science. But let us first consider a side of his thought that has seldom been emphasized, namely, his historical attitude. In olie selnse history was a weak point with Ba.con as with most of his contemporaries. He not only accepted the faulty accounts of the past current in his day, but was apt to pounce upon the most selnsatioiia1 and incredible details and use these to support his case. He ha(l no lnotion of historical criticism. Unfortunately he thought that he knew a good deal about the history of philosophy, and his attitude to science is colored by his false ideas of the history of intellectual development. He of course knew nothing of evolution or of prehistoric man. For him intellectual history commenced with a complete divine revelation of philosophy to the patriarchs. Science then declined owing to the sinfulness of mankind, the invention of magic by Zoroaster, and further corruption of wisdomi at the hands of Nimrod, Atlas, Prometheus, Hermes Trismegistus, Aesculapius, and Apollo. Complete knowledge and understandinig were granted again by God to Solomon, after whom succeeded another period of sinful decline, until with Thales began the gradual upbuilding of Greek philosophy culminating in Aristotle. Then night set in again, until Avicenna revived philosophy among the Arabs. To him and Aristotle, however, as infidels, less complete knowledge was vouchsafed than to the representatives of God's chosen people." Of the composition and development of Roman law Bacon had so little notion that he thought it borrowed chiefly from Aristotle and Theophrastus, except that the Twelve Tables were derived from the laws of Solon.2 Though he saw the value of linguistics and textual criticism, and sought with true humanistic ardor for a lost work like the I Opus Majuis, Bridges, I. 20, 45-56, and 65; Opus Tertium, Brewer, pp. 24-25, 32. 2 Opis Tertiuiii, Brewer, p. 50.