Bacon's Criticism and Call to Change

It was rightly observed that Bacon spends much time promoting his own system for the examination of nature, and yet he doesn't actually illustrate why his method is superior to the one of his time. I am going to disagree with this thought and make the claim that Bacon, in his brief criticisms of axioms of his day, sufficiently illustrated why change was necessary and why his method was superior to the status quo of his time. The first of my two points takes into consideration Bacon's view of the nature of human knowledge and power. He states in 3 [Book One] that "Human knowledge and human power meet in one, for where the cause is not known the effect cannot be produced." This excerpt speaks to the thought that scientific inquiry into nature and knowledge would both effect change and also lead to new paths to explore [particulars to investigate]. This idea of science/knowledge leading to change was not occurring within the thought and science of his time. It would seem that science had stagnated, and worse still was its inability and resistance to change from the old notions. In 25 [Book One] Bacon states that, "The axioms now in use, having been suggested by a scanty and manipular experience and a few particulars of most general occurrences, are made for the most part just large enough to fit and take these in, and therefore it is no wonder if they do not lead to new particulars. And if some opposite instance, not observed or not known before, chance to come in the way, the axiom is rescued and preserved by some frivolous distinction, whereas the truer course would be to correct the axiom itself." Thus we can see that the science of Bacon's time was essentially not fulfilling its purpose of reaching to new areas and particulars. Far from it. It was in fact stagnant and resisted ideas that opposed it. This illustrates a valid criticism and argument as to why the system of his time had to change. His form of observation offered change and a new direction to forsake the scientific mindset of old in an effort to protect the mindset of the future.