Summary of Bacon's Of Truth

 

Introduction

Francis Bacon is called as the father of English prose.  He was the first to write prose pieces in English, during Elizabethan period.  He writes about common topics.  He deals the topics in a straight forward manner by using less number of words.  Of Truth is one such essays, which talks in favour of truth.  Bacon argues about the values of truth.

 

Truth and Lie

Bacon begins the essay by quoting an incident, where Pilate, a Roman governor, asked what is truth but he did not wait for an answer.  People usually do not like truth because of the following reasons:

1.      Truth affects free thinking

2.      It takes a long time to prove

3.      People like lies

The philosophers who talked about truth are no more alive.  The modern philosophers who talk about truth are not that vigorous as the old philosophers.  Bacon says that lie gives pleasure in poetry, it gives gains to business men and people like it for the sake of it.  He compares truth to the day light, which shows everything as it is.  Lie is compared to a candle light, which shows and hides things.  Truth is like a peal, which shines only during day time.  Lie is like a diamond, which shines during night and changes its shade with different colours of light.  Lie adds some pleasure to our life.  Life would be dull and melancholic, when there are no false valuations, imagination and lie.

 

Qualities of Truth

People normally blame poetry because it is filled with lie.  This is not true.  Poetry is a reflection of reality.  A lie that passes over the mind is good, but the lie that sinks into the mind hurts.  Truth can be defined only by itself.  The best part of human nature is to find truth, love truth and to believe in truth.  Bacon compares truth to light through Bible.  He says that God created light on the first day and He created man on the sixth day.  After creating man, He gifted him the light of reason.  Bacon says that it is better to be present in the ship, which is in the sea and to be in the battle field and fight, than to stay in a place and look at the happenings.  Such people, who are in the field, would look and at the human errors with pity and not with pride.  Truth makes a man move in charity and this would heaven in earth.

 

Truth in Normal Life

            After talking about truth in a religious and philosophical tone, Bacon talks about the role of truth in normal life.  He compares lie mixed with truth with a gold coin mixed with copper.  The copper makes gold better, but it reduces the value of gold.  Speaking lie is like a snake that moves with its belly and not upright upon its feet.  There is not shame for a man other than speaking lie.  Bacon quotes Montaigne, who said that a man who speaks lie is brave towards God but a coward towards human beings.  By this Bacon means that a man who speaks lie will face the judgement of God.