Francis Bacon lecture series
The University of Hertfordshire branch of the Royal Institute of Philosophy is proud to host the Francis Bacon lecture series.
Sharing knowledge
These are free public lectures which aim to spotlight the valuable contribution and impact that philosophy makes beyond the academy.
The Francis Bacon lectures are delivered on an annual basis by distinguished academics working in philosophy or related fields.
About Sir Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) is chosen as the namesake for these lectures because of his roots in Hertfordshire’s history and his contribution to the intellectual climate of the Age of Reason and Discovery.
Bacon was the first and only Viscount of St. Albans and served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of Elizabeth I.
His enterprising philosophical vision is wholly in tune with the focus of this lecture series since, arguably, “Nobody before Bacon urged that scientific knowledge should be put to use for improving mankind’s lot” (Henry, Knowledge is Power, 2002 p. 8).
Equally, Bacon lamented the scholastic tendency of “university-trained philosophers … to spin useless cobwebs of learning out of their own minds” (p. 99).
Learn more about Francis Bacon
Hertfordshire sites connected with Francis Bacon
- Hatfield House - ‘where Elizabethan history began’ - is nearby (and worth a visit)
- Sir Francis Bacon's Water Gardens at Gorhambury
- Garden Visit - Old Gorhambury House
Sponsors
The Francis Bacon lectures are supported with annual funding from the Royal Institute of Philosophy and additionally by the School of Humanities.