ABOLISHING THE BORDERS BETWEEN NATURAL MAGIC FRANCIS BACON’S SYLVA SYLVARUM AND THE HISTORIA VITAE ET MORTIS

• Published in: Societate şi politică Vol. VIII; no. 2; pp. 23 - 42
• Main Author: Rusu, Doina-Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vasile Goldis University Press 2014; Editura Universităţii Vasile Goldiş
• Subjects: Politics / Political Sciences; Francis Bacon, natural history, natural magic, matter theory, Sylva sylvarum, Historia vitae et mortis
• ISSN: 1843-1348; 2067-7812

In this paper I investigate Francis Bacon’s natural histories,
with a focus on the Latin Historia vitae et mortis and the posthumous Sylva
sylvarum. My claim is that the English Philosopher was not interested in
compiling natural histories of particulars, but those of virtues, of processes,
and of the hidden activity of matter. The two mentioned writings represent
the exemplification of this interest. Despite their very different structures and
compositions, they share many characteristics which raise them at the level of
natural philosophy. As it is shown in this article, their relation with the theory
of matter, the experimental practice involved, and their operative character
represent elements specific to metaphysics and natural magic. Writing the
‘natural histories of matter’ Bacon abolishes the border between a natural historical endeavour and a natural philosophical enterprise based on the knowledge of causes.