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Roger Bacon
c.1220–1292 · England
Description
Roger Bacon, also known by the scholastic accolade Doctor Mirabilis, was a medieval English polymath, philosopher, scientist, theologian and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empiricism. Intertwining his Catholic faith with scientific thinking, Roger Bacon is considered one of the greatest polymaths of the medieval period.
Facts
| Born | c. 1219/20, near Ilchester, Somerset, England |
| Died | c. 1292 (aged about 72/73), near Oxford, Oxfordshire, England |
| Other name | Doctor Mirabilis |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Academic advisor | Adam Marsh |
| Era | Medieval philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Scholasticism |
| Main interests | Theology, Natural philosophy, Natural sciences, Chemistry, Biology, engineering, Mathematics, Astronomy |
| Notable ideas | Experimental science |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Work / contribution | Significance |
|---|---|
| Life | Roger Bacon was born in Ilchester in Somerset, England, in the early 13th century. |
| Work | Medieval European philosophy often relied on appeals to the authority of Church Fathers such as St Augustine, and on works by Plato and Aristotle only known at second hand or through Latin translations. |
| Legacy | Bacon was largely ignored by his contemporaries in favour of other scholars such as Albertus Magnus, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas, although his works were studied by Bonaventure, John Pecham, and Peter of Limoges, through whom he may have influenced Raymond Lull. |
| In popular culture | To commemorate the 700th anniversary of Bacon's approximate year of birth, Prof. |