Line by line explanation of Bacon’s
Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature
I TAKE goodness in this sense, the affecting of the weal of men, which is that the Grecians call philanthropia; and the word humanity (as it is used) is a little too light to express it.
Explanation .. Francis Bacon has tried to expound the true meaning of the word ‘goodness’ pertaining to human nature. A person suffusing with this trait tends to become a philanthropist – a human being very concerned with the welfare of others. Such a human being is more than willing to donate his resources for the purpose of public good, especially the under-privileged class. So, ‘goodness’ in human nature means a lofty value in humans. Describing such a gifted person as one having ‘humanity’ in mind is possibly an understatement.
Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the mind, is the greatest; being the character of the Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin.
Explanation .. For Bacon, goodness forms part of one’s habit, although the degree varies from person to person. ‘Goodness of nature’ means the desire of the person to give effect to this desire in real life dealings. Such a tendency is divine and loftier than all other noble values in humans. With no element of goodness of nature, a human being tends to be a beastly person with sinful thoughts and desires.
Goodness answers to the theological virtue, charity, and admits no excess, but error. The desire of power in excess, caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess, caused man to fall: but in charity there is no excess; neither can angel, nor man, come in dan ger by it.
Explanation … Goodness is enshrined in theology as a very noble value. This value asks people to shun excessive involvement in benign actions in their lives. If a person indulges in excessive degrees of noble acts, he will be committing a fatal error or a ruinous blunder. For example, angels were doomed because they indulged in excesses. In the same way, delving too deep into the sea of knowledge at the cost of bodily needs damages a scholar’s life. On the other hand, excessive indulgence in charity does much less harm to a person’s or an angel’s life.
The inclination to goodness, is imprinted deeply in the nature of man; insomuch, that if it issue not towards men, it will take unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the Turks, a cruel people, who nevertheless are kind to beasts, and give alms, to dogs and birds; insomuch, as Busbechius reporteth, a Christian boy, in Constantinople, had like to have been stoned, for gagging in a waggishness a long-billed fowl.
Explanation … Goodness is a value rooted in human nature. A person shows no mercy or tolerance towards another human being due to any reason, we shouldn’t conclude that they lack ‘goodness’ of character. Their goodness might become apparent in their compassion towards animals. Bacon cites the Turks known for their extreme cruelty towards people of other communities. But, Turks deals with animals with a tender hand.
Errors indeed in this virtue of goodness, or charity, may be committed. The Italians have an ungracious proverb, Tanto buon che val niente: so good, that he is good for nothing. And one of the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had the confidence to put in writing, almost in plain terms,
Example .. Some people might run into difficulties when they indulge in charity too passionately. There is a saying in Italian that means, too much good of anything could be bad. Nicholas Machiavel, an Italian doctor, had written about such a risk of over-indulgence in charitable work.
That the Christian faith, had given up good men, in prey to those that are tyrannical and unjust. Which he spake, because indeed there was never law, or sect, or opinion, did so much magnify goodness, as the Christian religion doth. Therefore, to avoid the scandal and the danger both, it is good, to take knowledge of the errors of an habit so excellent.
Explanation .. Christianity glorifies compassion, tolerance and sacrifice as heavenly values. There are many Christians who wedded to this value system too closely. No wonder, taking advantage of their spirit of tolerance, some tyrannical and evil-minded people tortured and killed these very astute followers of Christian values. One should, therefore, be pragmatic in one’s daily living. Irrational adherence to noble values could spell danger.
Seek the good of other men, but be not in bondage to their faces or fancies; for that is but facility, or softness; which taketh an honest mind prisoner. Neither give thou AEsop’s cock a gem, who would be better pleased, and happier, if he had had a barley-corn.
Explanation … Francis Bacon advises people with goodness in their characters to be judicious, measured, and realistic while dealing with their target recipients. The needs of the recipients should be assessed in a calculated manner, so that they receive what they really need. Too much of largesse is unwarranted and ridiculous. Bacon cites the instance where an Aesop’s cock was given a costly gem whereas a grain of barley-corn would have served it well.
The example of God, teacheth the lesson truly: He sendeth his rain, and maketh his sun to shine, upon the just and unjust; but he doth not rain wealth, nor shine honor and virtues, upon men equally. Common benefits, are to be communicate with all; but peculiar benefits, with choice.
Explanation …. The author cites the way in which God sets an example of unbiased and uniform distribution of his generosity on earth. He pours rain on earth and the Sun sheds light on everyone irrespective of their status, need, or location. It’s for the living beings on earth to make the best use of the rain and sunlight to make a living or create wealth. God never showers wealth or any readymade consumption item. God does not bestow honor on anyone. To receive acclaim and fame, one has to slog and struggle. So, while giving away charity, the need of the recipients has to be evaluated properly.
And beware how in making the portraiture, thou breakest the pattern. For divinity, maketh the love of ourselves the pattern; the love of our neighbors, but the portraiture. Sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor, and follow me: but, sell not all thou hast, except thou come and follow me; that is, except thou have a vocation, wherein thou mayest do as much good, with little means as with great; for otherwise, in feeding the streams, thou driest the fountain.
Explanation .. One needs to be wise and calculative in indulging in charitable activities. While drawing a portrait of someone, the artist should not over-indulge in his work. If they do so, the portrait may be disfigured. Self-interest is ingrained in everyone’s nature. God has made all of us that way. So, it’s perfectly alright to take care of one’s own needs first. It’s also right to love our neighbors. But, it’s advisable to be within limits. Selling away one’s possessions to donate money to the poor could sound to be an extreme act of benevolence, but such tendency need to be desisted. Such absurd generosity could lead to ruin. However, if one has a vocation like that of a doctor or a teacher, or a priest, one can go to the extreme to serve the needy and the poor. Caution is required while indulging in acts of generosity. Unfettered charity could ruin one’s life. The author cites the way how diverting excessive water to the streams could dry up the fountain.
Neither is there only a habit of goodness, directed by right reason; but there is in some men, even in nature, a disposition towards it; as on the other side, there is a natural malignity. For there be, that in their nature do not affect the good of others. The lighter sort of malignity, turneth but to a crassness, or frowardness, or aptness to oppose, or difficulties, or the like; but the deeper sort, to envy and mere mischief.
Explanation .. Goodness is an inborn trait. Its degree varies from person to person. In some cases, it’s pure and powerful, while in some other cases, goodness and sinfulness co-exist in one’s inner self. People with some immoral tendencies criticize those who are very noble and gracious. At times, impure and selfish persons actively resist and create hurdles in the path of the noble activities of the benevolent people. This happens because of their intolerance.
Such men, in other men’s calamities, are, as it were, in season, and are ever on the loading part: not so good as the dogs, that licked Lazarus’ sores; but like flies, that are still buzzing upon any thing that is raw; misanthropi, that make it their practice, to bring men to the bough, and yet never a tree for the purpose in their gardens, as Timon had.
Explanation … The malignant draw pleasure from the hardship suffered by others. They show no empathy, no mercy and no tendency to reach out to sufferers. A dog, driven by kindness licks the sores of a leprosy patient. On the contrary, flies happily fly around anything rotten.
Such dispositions, are the very errors of human nature; and yet they are the fittest timber, to make great politics of; like to knee timber, that is good for ships, that are ordained to be tossed; but not for building houses, that shall stand firm. The parts and signs of goodness, are many.
Explanation … Some men have very pronounced goodness in them. They go out of the way to help others in distress. Often we ridicule these very generous people for their apparently eccentric tendencies. However, these are the people who form the bedrocks of our society. The author likens them to ‘knee timber’ used in ship-building. There are people with no so strong goodness element in them. Nevertheless, they, too, serve the society. They are likened to house-building timbers.
If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island, cut off from other lands, but a continent, that joins to them. If he be compassionate towards the afflictions of others, it shows that his heart is like the noble tree, that is wounded itself, when it gives the balm.
Explanation … A man who behaves in a gracious and courteous manner with total strangers can be assumed to have a broad-minded and open personality. The vastness of his heart can be compared to a continent – way larger than an island. When a person craves the affections of others through his own acts of generosity, his personality can be compared to a large tree that offers shelters to pedestrians.
If he easily pardons, and remits offences, it shows that his mind is planted above injuries; so that he cannot be shot. If he be thankful for small benefits, it shows that he weighs men’s minds, and not their trash. But above all, if he have St. Paul’s perfection, that he would wish to be anathema from Christ, for the salvation of his brethren, it shows much of a divine nature, and a kind of conformity with Christ himself.
Explanation .. When a person quietly forgives the miscreants attacking him, the person can be said to have a mind that is immune to extraneous attacks and insults. When a person expresses his thanks for small friendly acts, he can be said to have a mind that registers only good vibes and remained deaf to hostile comments. Emulating St. Paul’s gracious, forgiving, and humane nature makes a person closer to Jesus Christ.
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