Summary of “Of Studies” by Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon's essay "Of Studies" explores the various purposes and benefits of engaging in studies, categorizing them primarily into three uses: delight, ornament, and ability. Studies provide personal enjoyment and solace in private moments, enhance conversation and discourse, and, most importantly, sharpen one's judgment and capacity for managing business affairs. Bacon emphasizes that while practical experience is valuable for executing specific tasks, it is learning that best equips individuals for broader strategic thinking and planning.
Bacon also cautions against the misuse of studies. Spending excessive time on studies can lead to idleness, using studies merely for ostentation results in affectation, and relying solely on academic rules for judgment can turn one into an impractical scholar. He asserts that studies refine nature, but nature itself must be perfected by experience. Just as natural plants need pruning, natural abilities require the cultivation that studies provide, but studies also need to be grounded in practical experience to be truly effective.
The essay differentiates how various types of people view and utilize studies. Crafty individuals tend to condemn studies, simple-minded people admire them, but wise individuals truly put them to good use. This is because studies themselves do not inherently teach their own application; true wisdom in using them comes from observation and practical insight. Bacon advises that one should read not to contradict, refute, or passively accept information, nor merely to talk, but rather to carefully weigh and consider what is read.
A significant portion of the essay is dedicated to the different ways books should be read. Bacon famously states that "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested". This metaphor explains that some books should be read only in parts, others quickly, and a select few require diligent and attentive reading from cover to cover. He also notes that less important arguments or "meaner sort of books" can be read by a deputy, but warns against relying too much on "distilled books" which are like "common distilled waters, flashy things".
Bacon then highlights the transformative power of reading, conference (discussion), and writing on an individual's character and intellect. He states that "Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man". This implies that reading enriches one's knowledge, discussion enhances one's quickness of thought and expression, and writing sharpens precision and clarity. He adds that if one writes little, a great memory is needed; if one confers little, a quick wit is essential; and if one reads little, much cunning is required to feign knowledge.
The essay also connects different academic disciplines to specific intellectual benefits. Histories make men wise, poetry makes them witty, mathematics makes them subtle, natural philosophy makes them deep, moral philosophy makes them serious, and logic and rhetoric prepare them for argument. This demonstrates Bacon's belief in a holistic approach to education, where each field cultivates particular mental faculties. He quotes a Latin phrase, "Abeunt studia in mores," meaning "Studies pass into and influence manners".
Finally, Bacon posits that studies can remedy intellectual deficiencies, much like physical exercises can address bodily ailments. For a wandering mind, mathematics is recommended because it demands focused attention; for those who struggle with distinguishing differences, the Schoolmen are suggested for their meticulous analysis ("cymini sectores" - splitters of hairs). Similarly, studying lawyers' cases is beneficial for those who need to connect diverse ideas to prove a point. Thus, every intellectual weakness, according to Bacon, can find a "special receipt" in the appropriate study.
Objective Questions and Answers from "Of Studies"
According to Francis Bacon, what are the three primary uses of studies?
(A) For wealth, power, and fame
(B) For delight, ornament, and ability
(C) For health, happiness, and peace
(D) For teaching, learning, and researching
Answer: (B)
What does Bacon say is the chief use of studies "for ability"?
(A) To engage in pleasant conversations
(B) To pass time in solitude
(C) In the judgment and disposition of business
(D) To write elaborate essays
Answer: (C)
What does Bacon compare natural abilities to, which "need pruning, by study"?
(A) Wild animals
(B) Raw diamonds
(C) Natural plants
(D) Untamed rivers
Answer: (C)
Which type of men, according to Bacon, "condemn studies"?
(A) Wise men
(B) Simple men
(C) Crafty men
(D) Learned men
Answer: (C)
What is Bacon's advice regarding reading, beyond merely contradicting or believing?
(A) To memorize every word
(B) To argue with the author
(C) To weigh and consider
(D) To find fault in the text
Answer: (C)
"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." What does "chewed and digested" imply for books?
(A) To be read quickly without much thought
(B) To be read only in parts
(C) To be read wholly, and with diligence and attention
(D) To be skimmed for key information
Answer: (C)
What kind of books does Bacon describe as "flashy things," like "common distilled waters"?
(A) Books that are read wholly
(B) Books read by deputy
(C) Distilled books
(D) Histories
Answer: (C)
"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." What does "conference" contribute to a man?
(A) Fullness
(B) Readiness
(C) Exactness
(D) Cunning
Answer: (B)
If a man writes little, what does Bacon say he needs to have?
(A) A present wit
(B) Much cunning
(C) A great memory
(D) A subtle mind
Answer: (C)
Which subject, according to Bacon, makes men "subtle"?
(A) Histories
(B) Poets
(C) Mathematics
(D) Moral philosophy
Answer: (C)
What does the Latin phrase "Abeunt studia in mores" mean?
(A) Studies make men happy
(B) Studies pass into and influence manners
(C) Studies are a waste of time
(D) Studies are for scholars only
Answer: (B)
For a wandering wit, what study does Bacon recommend?
(A) Poets
(B) Logic
(C) Mathematics
(D) Natural philosophy
Answer: (C)
What is the meaning of "cymini sectores" mentioned in relation to Schoolmen?
(A) Debaters
(B) Writers
(C) Splitters of hairs
(D) Great thinkers
Answer: (C)
What does Bacon suggest for those whose "wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences"?
(A) Study histories
(B) Study the Schoolmen
(C) Study poetry
(D) Study lawyers' cases
Answer: (B)
What is the danger of spending "too much time in studies"?
(A) Affectation
(B) Sloth
(C) Humor of a scholar
(D) Cunning
Answer: (B)
What is the danger of using studies "too much for ornament"?
(A) Sloth
(B) Affectation
(C) Lack of judgment
(D) Poor memory
Answer: (B)
What kind of men "admire" studies?
(A) Crafty men
(B) Wise men
(C) Simple men
(D) Learned men
Answer: (C)
What does Bacon suggest for those who need to "beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another"?
(A) Study mathematics
(B) Study moral philosophy
(C) Study the Schoolmen
(D) Study the lawyers' cases
Answer: (D)
According to Bacon, what makes men "witty"?
(A) Histories
(B) Poets
(C) Mathematics
(D) Natural philosophy
Answer: (B)
What is the overall purpose of studies, as suggested by Bacon's closing remarks about every "defect of the mind"?
(A) To accumulate knowledge
(B) To improve social standing
(C) To have a special receipt (remedy) for every mental defect
(D) To become a scholar
Answer: (C)
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