근대 과학의 성차별성, 계급차별성, 국가중심성에 대한 비판의 초점으로서의 프랜시스 베이컨- 베이컨의 근대 담론에 대한 역사학적 재검토 -

Abstract

This essay critically examines three representative contributions to the matters of scientific modernity with emphasis on the Baconian concept of knowledge/ power. Against the feminist criticism of the sexist nature of Baconian science represented by Carolyn Merchant, the 'gentlemen thesis' of Steven Shapin focused on the classist nature of it, and the nationalist/imperialist impulses of it mentioned by Benjamin Farrington, Friedrich Heer, Julian Martin et al., I try to reinterpret the progressive nature and modernity of Baconian science. I argues that the critics of Bacon have made attention to the symmetry in the analogical transition from social elements of power such as sexim, classism, and nationalism/imperialism to the natural world, that is, the extension of those social elements to the natural world through experiment, establishing-process of natural facts or truths, exploitation of natural resources, and so on. In contrast to their social constructivism, I analyse the asymmetry of that kind of analogy with underscoring that the idea of progress was being formed within such space of difference between the social elements and the natural elements. Although Bacon often mentions the masculinity and gentlemanhood of natural science and stresses on the 'greatness of state', it never means that his natural science and idea of progress is relied on sexim, classim, or nationalism/imperialism.(Kyungnam University/sebong@kyungnam.ac.kr)