Roger Bacon c. 1214 c. 1292

Roger Bacon was one of the most famous English philosophers of medieval times and one of the first individuals in medieval Europe to stress the importance of the scientific method.

His was the follower of the scholastic tradition that was prevalent in Europe during the medieval times but stressed on the use of the empirical methods to better understand about nature.

Roger Bacon

Roger Bacon

Roger Bacon Biography

Roger Bacon was born in 1214 at Ilchester Friary and matriculated from Oxford at the young age of 13. Eventually he went on to become a master at Oxford where he taught Aristotle.

He also lectured at the University of Paris between 1237 and 1245. The University of Paris was the intellectual hub of Europe at the time and gathered ideas from the East and West.

He reportedly died in the June of 1292 and was buried in Oxford.

Aristotle taught by Roger Bacon

Roger Bacon was the teacher of the Philosopher, Aristotle

Who was Roger Bacon?

Roger Bacon can be considered a natural philosopher since he stressed the importance of the scientific method in the study of nature. His stress on empiricism and support for the innovations of his time brought him to clash with the Church authorities, although he was supported for some time by Pope Clement IV.

He was also a friar in the Franciscan Order.

Medieval Friar

What was Roger Bacon Famous For?

Roger Bacon is mainly famous for his views on the scientific method as was espoused by Aristotle and the medieval Arab scientists such as Alhazen. He made several contributions to different fields including optics, physics, and astronomy etc.

Additionally, he was also a philosopher and a theologian and wrote on the relation of philosophy with theology as was customary at the time.

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Roger Bacon Personal Life

The personal life of Roger Bacon saw ups and downs since he was not always in the good graces of the authorities. He also travelled around since he also taught at the University of Paris for a few years.

The last years of his personal life were spent in quiet and peace. He is said to have been placed under house arrest for some time between 1277 and 1279 by the Church authorities because of his views on alchemy.

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Roger Bacon Academic Life

The academic life of Roger Bacon touched upon a diverse range of subjects. At Oxford, he taught Aristotle and was well aware of the philosophical developments in the Arab East. He also wrote on the relation between religion and philosophy in addition to his work on natural sciences.

Oxford

Oxford

Roger Bacon Death

Roger Bacon is said to have died in the June of 1292 at the age of 78. The exact circumstances of his death remain unknown. This was also the year of his last datable writing known as “Compendium studii theologiae”, which can be considered his last major work. Roger Bacon was buried in Oxford.

Roger Bacon Summary

Roger Bacon was one of the most famous natural philosophers and theologians of medieval England. He played a very important role in reigniting the scientific method of Aristotle in medieval Europe. Additionally, he was also a theologian and wrote works on the relation between religion and philosophy.