45 Best Francis Bacon Quotes That Prove Knowledge Is Power

Check out the best Francis Bacon quotes that reflect his deep understanding of the power of knowledge, truth, and the complexities of human nature.

Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, and author, widely regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the Renaissance.

Born in 1561, he became one of the most influential figures of the Scientific Revolution, advocating for empiricism and the scientific method.

Often hailed as the father of empiricism and the scientific method, Bacon championed the idea that knowledge should not just be acquired, but applied.

He believed that learning had real power only when used to improve life, solve problems, and expand human potential.

Through works like Novum Organum and The Advancement of Learning, Bacon introduced a new approach to science based on observation, experimentation, and logical reasoning, challenging traditional Aristotelian philosophy.

His writings explore themes like ambition, truth, morality, and the pursuit of wisdom, and they continue to inspire scholars, free thinkers, and everyday readers seeking deeper understanding.

Beyond his philosophical and scientific contributions, Bacon also served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor under King James I, influencing English politics and law.

Here are the most famous Francis Bacon quotes that will challenge your thinking, spark your curiosity, and inspire you to turn knowledge into action.

Top 10 Francis Bacon Quotes

1. “Money is a great servant but a bad master.” — Francis Bacon

   

2. “Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.” — Francis Bacon

   

3. “Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.” — Francis Bacon

   

4. “Prosperity discovers vice, adversity discovers virtue.” — Francis Bacon

   

5. “Life is a marshmallow, easy to chew but hard to swallow.” — Francis Bacon

   

6. “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” — Francis Bacon

   

7. “The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.” — Francis Bacon

   

8. “We rise to great heights by a winding staircase of small steps.” — Francis Bacon

   

9. “It’s not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.” —Francis Bacon

   

10. “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” — Francis Bacon

    

Best Francis Bacon Quotes On Knowledge And Education

1. “Knowledge is power.” — Francis Bacon

   

2. “Wonder is the seed of knowledge.” — Francis Bacon
3. “Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority.” — Francis Bacon
4. “We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.” — Francis Bacon
5. “If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.” — Francis Bacon
6. “Everybody has his own interpretation of a painting he sees.” — Francis Bacon
7. “A little science estranges a man from God; a lot of science brings him back.” — Francis Bacon
8. “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.” — Francis Bacon
9. “Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted… but to weigh and consider.” — Francis Bacon
10. “Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.” — Francis Bacon
11. “If we are to achieve things never before accomplished, we must employ methods never before attempted.” — Francis Bacon
12. “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” —  Francis Bacon
13. “Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.” — Francis Bacon
14. “If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” — Francis Bacon
15. “You cannot teach a child to take care of himself unless you will let him try to take care of himself. He will make mistakes and out of these mistakes will come his wisdom.” — Francis Bacon

Famous Quotes From Francis Bacon (Truth & Wisdom)

1. “The worst men often give the best advice.” — Francis Bacon
2. “Truth… is the sovereign good of human nature.” — Francis Bacon
3. “Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.” — Francis Bacon
4. “Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much.” — Francis Bacon
5. “Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.” — Francis Bacon
6. “Truth can never be reached by just listening to the voice of an authority.” — Francis Bacon
7. “There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” — Francis Bacon
8. “It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself.” — Francis Bacon
9. “There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man is really so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.” — Francis Bacon
10. “It’s not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.” — Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon Quotes On Life, Love, & Friendship

1. “All colors will agree in the dark.” — Francis Bacon
2. “It is impossible to love and to be wise.” —Francis Bacon
3. “I would live to study, not study to live.” — Francis Bacon
4. “People prefer to believe what they want to be true.” — Francis Bacon
5. “The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” — Francis Bacon
6. “The genius, wit, and the spirit of a nation are discovered by their proverbs.” — Francis Bacon
7. “I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death.” — Francis Bacon
8. “Journeys at youth are part of the education; but at maturity, are part of the experience.” — Francis Bacon
9. “It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.” — Francis Bacon
10. “Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake.” — Francis Bacon

Conclusion

What are your favorite Francis Bacon quotes and sayings (with images) listed above? If there is a quote that we’ve missed then let us know in the comments section below.

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