Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)English philosopher, politician, and writer, a founder of modern scientific research; Viscount St. Albans. His works include Essays (1597, revised and augmented 1612 and 1625), characterized by pith and brevity; The Advancement of Learning (1605), a seminal work discussing scientific method; Novum Organum (1620), in which he redefined the task of natural science.