Cupido, sive Atomus; Dionysus, sive Cupiditas: Francis Bacon on Desire

Abstract

In De sapientia veterum, Bacon advocated the use of mythology as a proper tool for philosophical inquiry. He argued that the myths of pagan antiquity (fabulae) contained a speculative core, while philosophy, by engaging in emblematic interpretations, could provide access to the most recondite principles of human knowledge (fabulam philosophiam continere, et philosophiam rursus fabulam). This fundamental assumption can be seen at work in the way in which Bacon discussed several major philosophical questions. In this chapter, I focus on his emblematic and mythopoetic treatment of the twin notions of natural appetite (Cupid) and human desire (Dionysus).