The twilight of the Baconian age and the future of humanity

摘要

Our times are the product of the unfolding of the Baconian program, articulated nearly 400 years ago by Sir Francis Bacon, which has been extraordinarily successful and has underpinned the worldwide expansion of Western civilization. However, in a paradoxical manner, the tri- umph of Bacon's program ended up undermining its own foundations. As we enter into the 21st century, we are witnessing the twilight of the Baconian age and we must embark in the search for a new program to mobilize human endeavors. This requires examining the logic and the underlying assumptions of the Baconian program, assessing the way in which they have been questioned by their own results and products, and exploring how to design and put in practice a new program to fully realize the human potential. This new program must build on the achievements of the Baconian age, but also acknowledge its limitations. This might, for example, call for putting emotions and feelings on a qualitative par with reason, and also for incorporating the contributions of non--Western cultural perspectives into the design of a new program for humanity.