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The Advancement of Learning

Francis Bacon · 1605

Bacon's 1605 English book surveying the state of knowledge and arguing learning should serve practical human welfare, dedicated to King James I.

Bacon's first major English work, laying groundwork for his later arguments about knowledge and the scientific method.

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Engraved title page of a 1640 Oxford edition of Bacon's work. Two obelisks flank a central banner reading 'Of the Advancement and Proficience of Learning or the Partitions of Science'. Globes, a ship, owls, and Latin inscriptions appear, with the imprint 'Oxford, Printed by Leon Lichfield'.
Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning, 1640 Oxford edition.

About this source

What it is

The Advancement of Learning, fully titled Of the Proficience and Advancement of Learning, Divine and Human, is a 1605 book by Francis Bacon, written in English and addressed to King James I.

Why it matters

In this early major work, Bacon argued that too much attention was given to studying old Greek and Roman texts and not enough to practical knowledge that could benefit society. He introduced ideas about observation, scepticism and testing, which later shaped his fuller scientific method in Novum Organum. The book later influenced the structure of the famous French Encyclopédie.

Look closer

  • Why would Bacon dedicate this book directly to the King, and what does that tell you about his position at the time?
  • How does Bacon's criticism of relying on ancient texts compare to how knowledge is valued today?
  • What does Bacon mean by learning serving 'the relief of man's estate'?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francis Bacon on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Engraved title page of Novum Organum Scientiarum by Francis Bacon, Leiden 1645, showing two classical columns, ships on the sea, and the Latin motto Multi pertransibunt & augebitur scientia.Book

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Novum Organum

Francis Bacon · 1620

Black and white engraving of a bearded man in 17th-century dress: a tall black hat, a large white lace ruff, and a dark cloak with patterned trim. He stands before a draped curtain with his right hand resting on a draped table.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait Engraving of Francis Bacon, Proof Impression

Title page of a 1696 London edition of Sir Francis Bacon's Essays, Or Councils, Civil and Moral, with a table of the colours of good and evil and a discourse on the wisdom of the ancients. Printed for H. Herringman, R. Scot, R. Chiswell, A. Swalle, and R. Bentley.Book

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Essays

Francis Bacon · 1597

Black and white engraved portrait of a bearded man with curly hair, wearing a wide-brimmed dark hat, a large white lace collar, and a dark embroidered doublet, against a shaded background. The caption below reads 'LORD BACON'.Painting

Secondary source

Francis Bacon, Engraving by C. Cook after Houbraken

C. Cook after Jacobus Houbraken · 1738

Title page of New Atlantis, printed in old-style typeface: 'NEVV ATLANTIS. A Vvorke vnfinished. Vvritten by the Right Honourable, Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban.' Below the text is a small ornate woodcut frame with a figure and a winged creature.Book

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New Atlantis

Francis Bacon · 1627

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