Francis Bacon on the four signs of seditious violence and troubles
A splice of “Western civilization” on election day 2024
Othis day, Americans are voting in the republic’s first election with a candidate presently under indictment for charges of overthrowing the democratic process*. It is hence signal at this hour (as they used to say) to revisit a classic of Western political philosophy, addressing “seditions and troubles”.
* NB. as well as many other indictments, and both civil and criminal convictions against him, and many of his lieutenants and followers.
The essay in question, “Seditions and Troubles”, is by the mercurial, widely misapprehended renaissance philosopher Francis Bacon, one time Lord Keeper of Britain under King James. As a high official in uncertain times, including a failed insurrection by his own former patron, Essex, Bacon was much occupied with how to prevent the kind of civil violence which seems inevitable if Mr Trump again loses today.
The little essay, of around 2000 words, is divided into:
a part of predictions [of how to predict civil war or revolution] …; … [one on] the Materials of seditions; then of the Motives of them; and thirdly of the Remedies.