Baron Verulam of Verulam, Viscount St. Albans. English writer, philosopher and statesman. Among the many posts Bacon held: member of Parliament, commissioner for the union of Scotland and England, solicitor-general, attorney-general, privy counsillor, and Lord Chancellor. Among his philosophical beliefs: truth is derived from facts, not authority; experience gives rise to knowledge. He emphasized the importance of experimentation to explain nature. |