In the early modern era, he was regarded as a wizard and particularly famed for the story of his mechanical or necromantic brazen head. He is credited as one of the earliest European advocates of the modern scientific method, along with his teacher Robert Grosseteste. Bacon applied the empirical method of Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) to observations in texts attributed to Aristotle. Bacon discovered the importance of empirical testing when the results he obtained were different from those that would have been predicted by Aristotle.
Vie et carrière
His linguistic work has been heralded for its early exposition of a universal grammar, and 21st-century re-evaluations emphasise that Bacon was essentially a medieval thinker, with much of his "experimental" knowledge obtained from books in the scholastic tradition. He was, however, partially responsible for a revision of the medieval university curriculum, which saw the addition of optics to the traditional quadrivium.
Bacon's major work, the Opus Majus, was sent to Pope Clement IV in Rome in 1267 upon the pope's request. Although gunpowder was first invented and described in China, Bacon was the first in Europe to record its formula.
Faits clés
- Birthplace: Near Ilchester, Somerset, England
- Domaine : Mathematics
Héritage et influence
The influence of Roger Bacon extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped the foundations of modern mathematics, and his theorems and mathematical frameworks remain foundational to this day.
Roger Bacon demeure l'un des esprits les plus célèbres issus de England, témoignage du riche héritage intellectuel de la région.
Génies notables de England
England a donné naissance à de nombreux esprits remarquables. Aux côtés de Roger Bacon :
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