New Atlantis ; and, the Great Instauration Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. Bacon refuted a lot of ideas put forth by the ancient Greeks. Discuss in detail the issues Bacon had with the Greeks' development and use of logic, mainly syllogism.

2. Plato and Aristotle were the two main philosophers referred to by Bacon. All three men are highly revered as brilliant men and philosophers. Compare and contrast Bacon, Plato and Aristotle.

3. Define in as much detail as possible the concepts of old logic and new logic. Compare and contrast them to support Bacon's thoughts on the stagnation of thought. Use outside sources to ensure objectivity.