VILLANTES_JOSIE ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION 1.4BSA CRITIQUE_PAPER “Of Studies” by Francis Bacon The essay entitled “Of Studies” by Francis Bacon retrieved from the 1625 edition of Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral published in the year 1597. The essay mainly discussed the relevance and benefits of studies in our day-to-day life. Bacon illustrates that studying has three main purposes, studying to enhance or improve one's capability, studying for pleasure, and studying to enrich one's life. Studying is not only by reading, writing, or memorizing but how you apply it in real-life situations or having experiences. In order for the readers to comprehend the essay effectively, Bacon uses comparisons and contrasts to tell them about the practical concept of studies. From the essay title “Of Studies” which is written by Francis Bacon, He wrote his essay full of knowledge, and the statements had reliable sources. The author is knowledgeable and reliable about the topic. The fact that he is an English Philosopher, Lawyer, Author and Scientist. In addition to that, he has published almost 50 essays which have the title started with the word “Of” and most of his work is supported by scientific methods. The author said that an individual who is educated and knows how to understand reading can make successful decisions, be able to handle their everyday situation with their knowledge, and have a stable and happy life. He continues by saying that writing creates an exact man, conference creates a ready man, and reading makes a full man. I agree with this statement “only educated and well- read men can create a plan effectively” Bacon (1597). How will you be able to make a concrete plan if you don’t know how to read and write? That is why the author has a good point from statements which is saying that if you are an educated person, you can make a good decision for yourself and for others. “Reading makes a full man”, is absolutely true, along with what Zaidi (2015) said that the intellect and imagination are fed by reading. Sitting in a room's corner with a book in your hands is the most soothing and calming thing you can do. The reader is introduced to a new world, a new culture, and new ideas without traveling or even moving an inch. According to Bacon, some texts are just designed to be tasted, while others are meant to be swallowed, and yet others are meant to be chewed and completely digested. To increase their understanding of the world, readers must make wise choices before reading any book. The author’s point of view is definitely a good point, we as an individual need to be aware of what type of books we are reading. Is this helpful for us? Will this book enhance our skills, ability, and critical thinking? Will it have a significant effect or drastically change as an individual? According to Gold, Judith. (2001) Choose a book that exposes readers to a variety of books, they must perceive themselves as well as other individuals, cultures, communities, and issues. Observe how fictional characters deal with similar fears, interests, and worries to their own. All learners will identify and develop relationships with their personal experiences, different books that they have read, and common ideas with the aid of a wide selection of culturally diverse works. Reading helps them comprehend the realities, and real-life experience helps individuals to understand books. Pick books that encourage youngsters to respond with excitement and comprehension. Seek books with complex language, deep themes, likable characters, and captivating illustrations. To sum it up, the author of this essay wants to convey that the main point of view of this work is all of us have different perspectives in life and how we are going to learn things according to our perception and our capacity. The true essence of studying is not just by reading but how we will apply it, in our real life in order to have experience, because if you studied it and are done reading it and you don’t know how to apply it in your day-to-day life, I would rather say that you only know how to read it but you didn’t understand the meaning behind it. Being an individual, I can say that it is really indeed fact-based that we only learned if we know how to apply it in a reallife experience. Imagine that you already studied it and then you don’t know the application of it, so what is the relevance of your studying if you are not able to practice it? Studying has a counterpart if you read the books and understand them you must also know the purpose of it just like the application to a real-life situation. References Nordquist, Richard. (2021). 'Of Studies by Francis Bacon. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/of-studies-by-francis-bacon-168877 Zaidi, Nasser. (2015) Reading makes a full man. Retrieved from. https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/reading-makes-a-full-man-1.1635895 Gold, Judith. (2021) Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/reading-aloud-build-comprehension Retrieved from.
