Francis Bacon: Of Studies

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This activity contains 3 questions.

Bacon’s essay was composed some four hundred years ago in a society that was in many ways very different from ours today. Write an analysis of “Of Studies” in which you summarize the main points Bacon makes and then go on to explore the extent to which his remarks continue to seem relevant. As you reread “Of Studies” and make preliminary notes, you will need to find ways to “translate” much of his vocabulary into its modern equivalent.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Bacon’s brief essay contains many aphorisms, concise statements of a general principle or truth—for example, “Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider.” Take one of these, put it into your own words, and use it as the starting point for an essay of your own. Elaborate on the statement with examples and further details that come from your own experience or imagination.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Changing Bacon’s focus a bit, write an essay for modern audiences titled “On Reading.” In it consider different types of reading, purposes for reading, benefits of reading, difficulties involved in reading, and so forth. Your essay may be quite personal, focusing on your own experiences as a reader, or, like Bacon’s, more formal.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

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