Francis Bacon's Atomistic Interpretation of Creation and Providence : Criticism of Telesio and Reception of Severinus

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  • フランシス・ベーコンによる創造と摂理の原子論的解釈 : テレジオ批判とセヴェリヌス受容
  • フランシス ベーコン ニ ヨル ソウゾウ ト セツリ ノ ゲンシロンテキ カイシャク テレジオ ヒハン ト セヴェリヌス ジュヨウ

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Abstract

This paper examines the theological dimension of Francis Bacon's atomistic theory of matter. This analysis shows that he was among those early modern atomists who modified the classical atomism from a theological perspective. To achieve this goal, the discussion first focuses on Bacon's criticism of Bernardino Telesio. Bacon criticized Telesio's natural philosophy for being theologically false. Trying to avoid this falsity, Bacon developed his atomism in the framework of Biblical Creation story. According to him, God first made the chaotic mass of atoms from nothing and then brought order to the world by giving divine power to each atom. Consequently, atoms came to be led by divine wisdom. This theory aimed at modifying the purely materialistic aspect of the ancient atomism, according to which God never intervenes in the world. The wording employed by Bacon for this modification has strongly suggested that he relied on the work of the Danish Paracelsian Petrus Severinus in developing this atomistic reading of the Bible. Utilizing Severinus's theory to harmonize atomism with the Christian doctrine was common among early modern atomists such as Nicholas Hill, Daniel Sennert and Pierre Gassendi. Therefore, it is on the basis of his reliance on Severinus that we can locate Bacon's matter theory in the history of atomism in the early modern era.

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