The Mastery of Nature

Bacon stresses the importance of having a firm grasp on Forms, the Latent Process, and the Latent Configuration. Bacon’s new methodology for understanding nature is based on “true and perfect rules of operation.” These rules provide direction allowing for our understanding of nature to be “certain, free, and disposing or leading to action.” How any one thing can be certain and free? By embracing the concept of Form “truth in speculation and freedom in operation” are obtainable. Bacon gives little guidance for how to go about understanding all that is Form, his use of meandering metaphors and whimsical language causes me consistent confusion. Bacon claims that “true form deduces nature,” yet this deduced nature is complicated by being interconnected to additional nature which coincide to form the natural order of things. For Bacon to broadly exclaim that the interconnectedness of Form results in natural order is preposterous. Bacon’s concept of understanding Form is to embrace the unity of nature, but is that not the same as understanding the natural order inherent in all Forms?

Bacon’s explanation of Latent Process if far more practical that the concept of Form. I think that Latent Process as described in the text is rational and applicable to understanding nature as a dynamic and interconnected entity. Bacon reasons that “every natural action depends on things indefinitely small.” This intricate interplay helps broaden the scope at which we as humans understand nature, allowing us to really examine nature. Bacon makes a stark remark by saying “nobody can hope to govern or change nature until he has duly comprehended and observed them.” This statement resonates with my understanding of human attempt to control the biosphere, and how we can’t stop nature because we don’t fully understand the intricacies of what had gone before and what will come after.

Latent Configuration is the “separation of bodies of universal form structure.” Bacon reasons that Latent Configuration is the act of using reason and true induction to discover what exists not due to separation by fire or chemicals, but due to the natural and exact interactions that create distinct entities. Bacon’s understanding of homogenous parts seems to be based very closely on what I think of as elements and the way they combine to form discrete units. Bacon makes a reasonable argument about basics of constructing bodies, but I don’t see how these building blocks will reveal the nature of the object.