The Golden Age of Greece (about 500-300 BC) had very few equals and no other civilization could be said to have outshone the glory that was Greece. Ancient China and Egypt and India may lay claim to have rivalled Greece, but never to have overtaken its splendour.
And thus it was, that in the Western world, it was Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC) and the Aristotelian approach to science that held sway and with iron sceptre ruled for more than a thousand years - until just over 400 years ago.
Aristotle believed that the formulation of an idea based on “logic” (which itself was based on other ideas) was the supreme arbiter of the phenomena of nature. All else flowed from the central idea - and there was no need for experimentation, testing of hypotheses or the constant adjustment and iteration of results leading to a clearer exposition of the truth. The central idea in Aristotelian thought could be reasoned out and argued whilst lying on the beach (or in your basement) - there was no need for energetic confrontation, experimentation, observation and verification.
It was no accident that the challenge to Aristotle came not from China or India or Africa - but from an English lawyer and philosopher. The acceptance of the unique claims of Christ by Western nations had meant that for hundreds of years, the West had been developing in a different direction and in ways different from much of the rest of the world.
If a good picture is worth a thousand words, then the beautiful painting below must be worth ten thousand, or a million words. It is displayed in the Musée d'Art in Bayeux, France, and shows the triumph of the Cross over the symbols and ideas of ancient Greece.
On the left of the painting are shattered statues, images and ideas. Even the trees lie in ruin behind the Greek philosopher-priest, who is surprised, shocked, amazed that Christ through His apostle could have uprooted, triumphed over and replaced the glory that was Greece. Even secular and agnostic historians will acknowledge (as Tom Holland recently did in his magnum opus,“Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World,”) that it was Christ’s touch upon the centuries that shaped Western civilization and much of the modern world.
Into this world came Francis Bacon (1561-1626), proclaiming that the age of Aristotle must give way to the age of experimentation, testing and verification of the phenomena of nature.
Central to Aristotelian thought was what may be called the “Grand Idea.” The latter was based on reason and “logic,” itself dependant on other (often flawed) ideas. Observed phenomena of nature must be fitted into the Grand Idea and if they don’t fit at first, they ought to fit and must be made to fit. For its time, this was an excellent philosophy - the “grand idea” was a grand march away from the pagan world of superstition and magic.
In a new and different era in the late 16th century, Francis Bacon’s “Novum Organum” (Latin for “new tool”) put forward a new method and philosophy of science that owed its inspiration and origins not to Greek thought, but to St. Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians to “test all things, hold fast to that which is true.”
Bacon’s emphasis on experimentation, investigation and verification of the phenomena of nature (without any pre-conceived “grand idea”) changed the face of science so completely that several decades later, that greatest of all scientists, Isaac Newton (1642-1747) could investigate and write about a multitude of natural phenomena in wave after wave, chapter after chapter of original, almost miraculous pages of scientific observation and deduction.
Using Bacon’s “Novum Organum” and methods, energetic observation and investigation of nature’s phenomena could sometimes yield to a unifying idea, but no longer would a preconceived notion (the “grand idea”) be accepted, unless verified by experimentation and observation. In turn, Francis Bacon’s championing of what became known as the “scientific method,” created the modern world.
Although Bacon did not write specifically about the formulation and testing of hypotheses in the progress of science, this central tenet of modern science followed naturally and forcefully from Bacon’s monumental work and methods.
Two hundred years later, the brilliant British physicist Thomas Young summarized the fundamental contributions of Francis Bacon to science:
“Bacon first taught the world the true method of the study of nature, and rescued science from that barbarism in which the followers of Aristotle, by a too servile imitation of their master, had involved it.”
Tragically, in the covid-19 era, the lessons of the last 400 years were either forgotten or intentionally cast aside in favour of several “grand ideas.” The high priests and priestesses, who were the guardians of these ideas embraced antiquity and Aristotle with a fierce and terrifying intensity. In the modern, scientific era that would have been embarrassing enough - but these “barbarians” went beyond the follies of ancient Greece and started practicing the pagan arts of (black) magic and superstition!
Several “grand ideas” were put forward by these high priests. Most of them are only too familiar to a weary population - “masks work;” “lockdowns are sacred;” “schools must be closed;” “the injection is safe and effective” - etc. etc.
In true Aristotelean fashion, when the observed phenomena and facts did not match the “grand idea,” these high priests had to “make them” fit the sacred “grand idea” - or make up new, non-existent facts! Too often, the facts were made to “disappear” from the scientific literature by “magic.” Or, they were suppressed, since it is heresy to challenge the high priest!
The “highest” (or lowest, depending on your point of view) of these high priests, Anthony Fauci, had struck a faustian bargain with the devil (who the Bible calls the “father of lies”). Lie after ridiculous lie spewed out of this high priest’s forked tongue and for a while, it seemed like his stream of ridiculous “grand ideas” would destroy the very fabric of Baconian science and the scientific method.
But even as the darkness drew in and the dawn seemed ever further away, a small, dedicated army of insurgent, modern scientists, physicians and nurses were waging a highly effective guerrilla campaign against the high priests and their legions. If suppressed by one corrupt media platform, they would emerge from other ones; if persecuted, they became stronger; if challenged, they relished and revelled in the opportunity to argue for science and against superstition (but no high priest responded to their multiple invitations to debate the science).
The magic spell cast by Fauci and his high priests enveloped almost the whole population - almost, but not quite. The small minority of the population that did not go with the official “magic” narratives still amounted to millions of ordinary men, women and children. (In Canada, for example, the latter would have numbered no less than 6 million people, probably a lot more). They were a small, but mighty minority.
To these millions of courageous resisters, a new education on the methods of science, deductive evidence and investigation had begun. Unwittingly, often without them realizing it, they had embarked upon a fascinating journey of discovery of the scientific method and the teachings of Francis Bacon. Armed with evidence and data, they demanded new evidence to justify new, pandemic “control” measures - and they relentlessly bore down upon and questioned the old evidence. They will now never be the same again - and will always question every Aristotelian high priest they meet in the future. But they were getting weary, exhausted, repeatedly assaulted and harassed by the authorities, repeatedly subjected to the torture of hearing lie after ridiculous Faucian (faustian) lie.
And then came the Truckers! Not schooled by the philosophical schools of Fauci and his high priests and priestesses, not affected by the post-modernism that rules our universities, these practitioners of common-sense and decency, these champions of compassion and determined action, rode into Ottawa like a conquering army. Their steeds (trucks) were swift and peaceful and lethal. They brought fresh troops, fresh energy and fresh approaches to the old battle for truth. Like dominoes and nine-pins, the pillars of tyranny started falling one by one - soon the trickle became a flood and the world held its breath as it beheld a massive, Canadian civil disobedience movement achieve more for the rebirth of science and the scientific method than the Truckers themselves could have dreamt or imagined. Our debt to the Truckers Freedom Convoy is incalculable.
The battle is by no means over. But we now have physicians, truckers, nurses, scientists and millions of ordinary men, women and children equipped and energized like never before - and willing and able to take the fight to the enemy. And win.
For “where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound.”
Amen
Thank you Francis for sharing your gift of writing for all of us to enjoy and reflect upon.