“There are four great sciences, without which the other sciences cannot be known nor a knowledge of things secured ... Of these sciences the gate and key is mathematics ... He who is ignorant of this [mathematics] cannot know the other sciences nor the affairs of this world.”
Quote by Roger Bacon
Work
The Opus majus of Roger Bacon: a translation of Robert Belle Burke
The Opus majus is a comprehensive work by the medieval philosopher Roger Bacon, focusing on scientific inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge. This translation by Robert Belle Burke aims to make Bacon's original text accessible to modern readers, preserving the depth and complexity of Bacon's ideas on alchemy, astronomy, and the natural world. more
Author
Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon (c. 1214–1294) was an English Franciscan friar, philosopher, and early advocate of the scientific method. He emphasized empirical observation and mathematics as essential tools for understanding nature. Educated at Oxford and the University of Paris, Bacon was influenced by Aristotle and Arabic science. His major work, Opus Majus, covered optics, linguistics, astronomy, and alchemy, and included descriptions of gunpowder and futuristic inventions like flying machines. Despite facing suspicion and imprisonment by church authorities for his unconventional ideas, Bacon's contributions laid groundwork for the later Scientific Revolution. He is remembered as a pioneering thinker who challenged dogma and championed experimental science. more
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