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Baconian Philosophy and the BaconianProgress.
By
Muhammad Yousaf Gabriel
Oqasaorg@gmail.com
(a) Baconian Philosophy
Today although the philosophy of Bacon pervades the entire
world, yet a few only have heard his name. In popularity and
prevalence the Baconian philosophy has left every other
philosophy far behind. The greatest religions could only occupy
a part of this world, whereas the philosophy of Bacon reigns
supreme all over the world. Without any intervention from any
quarters. And yet, the philosophy of Bacon is an exact
anti-thesis of every revealed religion. Bacon's philosophy is,
man's dominion over nature through organized, systematic,
continuous and infinite research of science, for the material
benefit of mankind in general, as the destiny of man, and the
purpose of man's life, and as the command of God to Adam. The
pursuit of moral philosophy on the other hand, (according to
Bacon) was the repetition of and persistence in the first
transgression of God's command by Adam, in tasting the fruit of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and therefore
forbidden to Adam's posterity. Man had taken to the pursuit of
moral philosophy merely to give himself the law, and instead of
pursuing the course of natural philosophy went astray and
adopted the course of moral philosophy, said Bacon. Now this is
a philosophy in radical opposition to the philosophy of every
revealed religion. The pursuit of moral philosophy according to
the revealed religion is the primary purpose of man's life. The
pursuit of natural philosophy for material benefit has only a
secondary place and is treated as mere necessity.
(b)Baconian
Progress:
Perhaps you might say, what we
have to do with such a blasphemous philosophy as is of Bacon.
You might also feel a doubt about the existence of such a
philosophy. And you certainly are prone to say " We believe only
in the Philosophy of our own religion, and care nothing for
Bacon's philosophy, of which we have not even heard. No doubt
you believe in your own religion, but you practice at the same
time the philosophy of Bacon, and there is no doubt about that.
This Baconian progress which you simply call as progress or
modern progress is exclusively and completely based on the
principles of Bacon's philosophy. It makes no difference whether
you know of Bacon's philosophy or not, for one's ignorance about
the poison that has been swallowed will make the least
difference to the effects of the poison in question. You might
demand explanation, then hear: this progress is a continuous,
organized, systematic, ever-increasing and infinite process of
gaining dominion over nature for material benefit, through an
equally continuous, organized, systematic, ever-increasing and
infinite research of science. These no doubt are the principles
of Bacon's philosophy of modern atomism.
Now this progress is not only continuous,
organized, and systematic, but it also is ever-increasing and
infinite. Being ever-increasing, it would naturally and
gradually occupy man's mind and time in an ever-increasing
manner, expelling at the same time, and in the same proportion,
the thought of other world and the day of judgment and religion.
This is a fact observable, and this gradual transition is no
hidden secret. But further, because this progress is infinite,
the thought of the other world, judgment and religion ought as
a rule to be expelled completely from man's mind. Today even in
the mosque no mention of the other world and day of judgment is
made, whereas outside the mosque the sole talk of the people is
progress. you might say "What then if there is no religion". But
you are mistaken. This world cannot exist without religion and
moral values. You might also say "Well, when we will deem fit,
we will apply a break to this progress and keep it in balance".
In this too you are mistaken. It is not possible to apply breaks
to this progress, for it must as a rule complete its process to
its logical end; the atomic hell. If it were possible to apply
break to this progress, then no better occasion of this step
were there than now, when this mankind despite its knowledge of
the ruinous hazards of atomic energy is obliged to adopt the
atomic energy because of the fear of dwindling resources of
harmless energy. If, now that atomic energy is banned, this
universal industrial set up of the world freezes, resulting in a
famine. If atomic energy is adopted, a painful and complete ruin
of mankind is a certainty. This Baconian progress is not even in
line with the basic design of creation. It has within a few
years devoured up all the sources of energy, which in normal
times could have sufficed the needs of this mankind for
thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousand of years. The verdict
therefore is that it is impossible to balance this progress with
religion and that religion only would allow this Baconian
progress, which were willing to sign the warrants of its own
exile. And thus now, either progress or religion. There is no
midway house. The same could be said of this present science
which is no more than a handmaid of this progress, and is a mere
instrument of material exploitation. See the gradual decline of
Christian religion and the gradual sway of science in
science-Christianity conflict. This progress is bound to destroy
itself. It is for the pilot now to show whether he can bale out
in time to escape the doom of being consumed by the flames after
the plane has caught fire. A very important fact, rather an
eye-opener is that, the revival and promulgation of a religion
effectively and completely is very difficult in the presence of
this Baconian progress, and if it is supposed that the religion
has been promulgated, then too no religion can save from the
destruction of atomic hell, either itself or anyone else. it is
meaningless to say that science was no more than the knowledge
of the laws of nature, therefore was adoptable without
objection. No, but look at its role in this Baconian progress
and look at the inevitable consequence that is the atomic hell.
(c) The effects of
Baconian philosophy on man:
The
notion of man's dominion over nature as aright has produced
pride and a will to be God in man's mind. Dependence on and
trust in science and man's own ability has taken the place of
man's dependence on and trust in God. The view of
self-sufficiency is a kind of a mirage which ends instead of
water into the deluge of atomic fire. Mankind, as was the
expectation of Bacon, has not been changed into a host of
natural saints, and contemplating mystics, as a result of
his philosophy, but rather this mankind has been changed
into a cloud of locusts moving on their way to the zone of
atomic spray to be annihilated to final extinction. Slander,
distrust, moral depravity, frustration, mental and political
confusion are in vogue everywhere, while sympathy, brotherhood,
content, are fast disappearing from the world. And no wonder if
in the atmosphere of dwindling resources and ever-intensifying
appetite of man in the absence of faith, this mankind may be
changed into a race of cannibals.
(d)The failure of
Baconian Philosophy:
Bacon's notion of man's dominion
over nature after success in steam and electricity has been
struck up in the field of atomic science. This fiery atomic
giant will surely consume the dwarfish man. Nature itself
offended by man's daring is in a revengeful mood. She will
strike this mankind with her atomic trident, and will reduce it
to ashes. Science itself has become blind in the field of
nuclear field. To find any protection against the atomic bomb,
or to control radiation or to provide any protection to the
masses against reactor radiation is beyond the power of this
science. And this I say in spite of the optimism of the
scientist community and I say it on proof. This servile handmaid
of this Baconian progress, the science, has at last exposed its
reality which only the doomed will refuse to see. The notion of
Baconian material well-being of mankind has failed miserably
against the ever-increasing and infinite capacity of man's
appetite. The cycle of production and demand has assumed the
character of Fission Chain Reaction. The Increase in production
means increase in demand to infinity. The religious doctrine of
otherworldliness and disinterestedness could only give some
relief in this matter. The sages of this age without exception
prescribe more production as the remedy of hunger but they only
add fuel to the burning kiln in an endeavor to extinguish the
fire. However, the Baconian Philosophy is remarkably successful
in attaining to its logical end through an established process.
And what is its logical end? It is no other than the atomic
hell. The Baconian hell.
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