“Of Suspicion” by Francis Bacon

- - - - - - -Introduction - - - - - - -

"Of Suspicion" is Essay 31 from the book "The Essays of Sir Francis Bacon" which he published in the year 1597. In this assemblage of essays, Bacon delves deep into the understandings of a wide range of topics which were clearly relevant to society at the time. In his essay “Of Suspicion”, Francis Bacon, a famous English philosopher, orator and scientist, puts forward his strong views regarding the negative impact of suspicions of any kind lingering in the human mind. He offers us a valuable insight into the inner mental effect of harboring such suspicions, how it affects our outward behavioral characteristics and our social connections. He then goes on to explain how a certain degree of suspicion is inevitable, and he offers us a simple and straightforward solution that will help us find our way out of the ”dense wood of suspicions” that we may have built up.
- - - - - - - About the Author - - - - - - -
Francis Bacon is well known for his arguments against the Aristotelian principles. Unlike Aristotle and Plato, Bacon placed an emphasis on experimentation and interaction. He has always argued for an empirical, inductive approach to knowledge, which many see as the foundation for modern scientific enquiry. In this essay too, we can clearly recognize that majority of the arguments presented are backed up by logical statements which he believes cannot be refuted by the reader. His original style, his