Among the western prose masters we are familiar with, Montaigne, Pascal and Bacon are indispensable if I want to find out the recognized figures in my mind. Among them, I think Bacon's thought is the most rigorous and profound. As a teenager, he went to Oxford University to study, and the official was the minister in charge of the seal. His life experience was extraordinary, and there were many setbacks and frustrations. Although the character is flawed, but the experience is not shallow, there are many books, and thinking is deep into the bone marrow. Don't say the rest, just look at his essay "On Reading" and you can get a glimpse. That article made me feel the wisdom of a thinker, whose thoughts were very clear and profound, and I learned a lot after chewing it repeatedly.
"Reading can give people fun, elegance and ability." Bacon's extraordinary shot, straight to the point, straight to the point, highly summarized, revealing the connotation of reading. Looking at the world carefully, in order to pass the extra time and fill the emptiness of the soul, there are really too many things that can be entertained in the world of mortals: mahjong, TV, shopping, listening to books, watching discs, enjoying music, etc., all of which can be done, but not necessarily for a long time. Apart from bad hobbies, there are also restrictions on carrying inconvenience and various conditions, including the pressure of competition and the influence of mood Therefore, it can be said that nothing else in this world will have a lasting effect, only reading can.
As the saying goes, a leopard cannot change his spots, which means that people's nature will not change easily. This is a knowledge in the atlas, but Zeng Guofan said that reading can transform people's character. Difficult as a person's personality can be changed, it is natural to read for fun. Just how much fun is this? Mr. Lu Xun once used a very common metaphor to say that, just like a gambler constantly touching cards, it goes on and on, and the fun lies in that touching cards.
Obviously, telling us the fun of reading is to give up everything else and focus on reading itself. Only when there is a considerable amount of it will there be fruits hanging between green branches and green leaves. Elegance comes from the edification of books, such as Su Shi's saying that "there is poetry in the abdomen and self-glorification". With the influence of such a "poetry book", the temperament is not vulgar, and the words and deeds are different. Internal edification for a long time naturally makes people talk extraordinary. A nation famous for its practice can accumulate a lot of experience, and can also integrate these experiences into its own blood, but only in this way can it be said that it lives on the surface, or that it only knows the rough sea, but it still doesn't know another world under the sea, which is quiet, deep and dark.
In Liang Jian, the senior generals of China People's Liberation Army, who use their wisdom in actual combat, can defeat the visible powerful opponents, but in modern warfare, or on the battlefield where they can't see their opponents, they may not be able to win. Because of their poor knowledge structure, it is necessary to make up a lesson in modern warfare for these generals with outstanding achievements. Why is this?
Part II: Reflections on Bacon's Essays.
Francis Bacon was a famous essayist and philosopher in the English Renaissance, and his masterpiece Bacon Essays also exudes wisdom, rationality and artistic brilliance. Reading his words is like having a heart-to-heart talk with a wise old man who has crossed time and space, and all the beautiful and gorgeous writing contains profound philosophical truth.
Although it is an essay, every work in the book has forbidden logic. According to the current situation, the author puts forward his own views on virtue, philosophy, politics, religion and human feelings. He advocates rationality, but does not deny everything. He agrees with religion, but he is not blindly superstitious. He comments on the past and the present with a pious attitude and a comprehensive vision. Every small article of his contains rich philosophy.
In Talking about Truth, he despised lies and hypocrisy, calling it "the last bell to call on God to judge mankind". However, to blindly pursue the truth is to tie itself up and blaspheme it. Truth is not absolute, and some people even use "truth" to persecute others, because it can cover up their past ignorance and win false joy. Truth is just the agreement between people's cognition and morality, and it is just a kind of spiritual support.
"The benefits of luck are desirable, and the benefits of bad luck are amazing." In "Talking about Bad Luck", Bacon, like philosophers of all ages, gave "bad luck" light. He believes that bad luck breeds miracles, bad luck makes perseverance, and bad luck is an indispensable part of a generation of great men. Comfort and hope in bad luck, like bright and fast patterns embroidered on a dark foundation, are more vivid, harsh and attractive. "Virtue is like a precious spice, which is most fragrant when burned and crushed: because luck can reveal malignancy best, and bad luck can find virtue best." It is precisely because of the existence of bad luck that people's consciousness can be stimulated and they can uphold their beliefs in adversity. No matter how the times change, human beings always make progress, and some of them benefit from bad luck.
Not only is it philosophy, but Bacon has also studied art and has his own unique views on the beauty of creation. His talent as a designer can be seen in "Talking about Gardens" and "Talking about Building Houses". It's just that his words are addressed to princes and nobles, and the design scheme in the text is also quite laborious. Bacon also belongs to new noble, and loves gardens as a place for relaxation, but he does not advocate the past views. Garden is an art endowed by God to human beings, not a sign to show identity. That era has been polluted by fame and fortune, and many nobles are still unhappy or trying their best all day, even though they have rich property. Gardens, mansions, all of them, how many are built with the simplest original intention, and how many people can appreciate their real fun? Because of this, it is called "art" and one of the reasons why artists are doomed to be lonely.
Although it spans the century, it warns people every word.