Francis Bacon and Wit as Political Virtue

• In Event: The Politics of Wit II

Abstract

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) is deeply concerned with human learning and its advancement, as well as the ways in which we share what we think we know with other individuals. Not only is Bacon known for his own wit, but wit is a recurring topic in his work. “Wit,” as Bacon uses it throughout his works, is not simply intellectual capacity, it is educable, and it is public. As a consequence, Bacon appears to understand wit as a political necessity, which can manifest as either a political virtue or vice. Bacon seems to understand wit in two ways: as a quality or characteristic; and as a skill that one can employ. In this chapter, we consider Bacon’s understanding of wit, the different typologies of wit that are present in his corpus, and the relationships among wit, virtue (or vice), and political life.

Authors

• Kimberly Hurd Hale, Coastal Carolina University

• Erin A Dolgoy, Rhodes College