Of Studies Questions and Answers Class 11 English Second Semester
1. What are the threefold uses of studies?
Or. “Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability”-explain.
Ans. Bacon as a pragmatist opens his essay with these threefold purposes of studies and guides his readers how to utilize studies. Studies, according to him, serve mainly three fold pur- poses. It is mainly a source of pleasure. The pleasure of study can chiefly be enjoyed by a man leading a life of aloofness and retirement. Studies have also an ornamental value and this is the second purpose of studies. The ornamental value of studies can well be perceived in the conversation of an educated man. Thus he wants to convey that studies allow a man to develop the quality of thinking and speaking with greater clarity. The third use of studies is that, studies add to one’s ability. The ability that a man develops by reading books is helpful to him in maintaining the proper judgement of a subject. Men of experience may well have the skill for implementation of business projection, but the best decision always comes best from a leamed man
2. What according to Bacon are the disadvantages of studies? Explain in brief.
Or, “To spend too much time in studies, is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affection; to make judgement wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar”- Explain.
Ans. Studies, according to Bacon should be done in a scientific and methodical way. In his essay Bacon seems to weigh the pros and cons of studies. According to Bacon if a man spends too much time in studies, he will become inactive and of sedentary habits. Again if a man uses his learning excessively for ornamentation, he will become artificial and over-refined in his expressions while talking with others. There is again another disadvantage of studies. Studies no doubt provide an individual the ability of judgement, but if the persons, especially the scholars try to make judgements wholly from a bookish point of view, they will spoil the real taste of any subject. In this way they dispose scholarly eccentricity.
3. “Crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them”- What does Bacon want to suggest here?
Or, What are the three different attitudes taken to studies by persons of three different temperaments?
Ans. In this extract from Bacon’s didactic essay ‘Of Studies’, Bacon draws our attention to the three different attitudes taken to studies by persons of three different temperaments. Crafty men, according to Bacon, hate or disregard studies. By crafty men Bacon refers to those persons who have a good practical sense but no real education. Secondly, the simple men, the uneducated mass of average intelligence, can hardly judge what knowledge is. Therefore, they are only amazed at the knowledge of scholars and admire studies from a distance. But the wise men make a practical use of their studies. They not merely acquire knowledge from their studies, but also utilize the acquired knowledge to solve practical problems. Thus the wise men alone know how to use studies.
4. “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”-Explain in brief what does Bacon want to suggest here?
Or, What according to Bacon are the three types of books and how should they be read?
Ans. Bacon here, humorously enough, compares the process of reading to that of the process of eating. He is of the opinion that all books are not be read in the same manner. According to him there are some books which are to be tasted. These books are to be read only in parts There are some other books which are to be swallowed. Such books are to be read quickly and hurriedly. Only a quick glance is enough for such books. But there are again some few books which are to be chewed and digested. These books are to be read with much care and attention. This is because, the contents and form of these books are of extreme importance and useful for us in our practical life.
5. “…. but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things”-Explain, what Bacon wants to convey here.
Ans. Bacon here describes the procedure of reading the less important books and also hints at the tastelessness of the summarised books. There are books, the subject matters of which are of less importance. These unimportant and ordinary books do not require rapt attention and can be studied with the help of deputies. One can acquire the summary of the thought from those who have read them. Extracts and summarised books, as described by Bacon, are tasteless like distilled water. We get distilled water by condensing vapour of the boiling water. Naturally distilled water becomes tasteless and flashy. So is the case with summarised or abridged books. In summaries, the charm and interest of the books are absent.
6. What according to Bacon are the benefits of reading, conference and writing upon a man?
Or, “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man- Explain the significance of this statement.
Ans. To Bacon study is not for the sake of knowledge but for worldly attainment or material success. Thus he mentions the need of reading, discussion and writing to make knowledge complete. Various branches of learning help to develop different qualities in a person Reading fills a man with information and knowledge and develops the power of his mind and thus makes him realise his full potentiality. On the other hand conference or discussion makes one witty and helps one to give a quick reply according to the occassion. Writing is helpful to become exact or accurate. When a man writes out something, it finds a permanent place in his minds. Mere reading keeps one’s knowledge vague. It may slip out of his mind. But writing is helpful in making one accurate or exact and to the point in his knowledge.
7. “Nay there is no stone or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises”-What does Bacon want to convey here? Explain.
Ans: Bacon here emphasises another important aspect of studies. Bacon points out that various defects of mind can be removed by the proper kind of study. Different branches of learning. as he opines, are able to take away different mental diseases. To make his point clear Bacon exemplifies the way to cure different diseases of human body through appropriate exercises. As various bodily diseases have various remedies of different physical exercises, similarly there are various branches of studies such as mathematics, the books written by ‘Schoolmen’ and the lawyers’ suits’ to cure certain mental diseases like wandering mind, inability to distinguish or find differences and incompetence to gain clarity in arguments. By dint of a beautiful metaphor Bacon here compares fitful studies to fitful physical exercises.
8. What does Bacon say about the curative value of studies?
Ans. In his essay ‘Of Studies’ Bacon points out that various physical defects or ailments have different kinds of physical exercises. Likewise various defects or illness of minds have differ- ent kinds of remedial studies. Proper kind of studies can cure certain illness of minds. Like a psychiatrist, he has prescribed here some remedies for the diseases of mind. If a man has wandering mind or if he lacks concentration, he should study mathematics. Similarly if a man has confusion of thoughts, he must read the books written by the ‘Schoolmen’. Again he says that if a man fails to recall references to clarify his arguments, he must study the law-cases prepared by the lawyers and these would be the perfect remedy for this mental defect.
9. What is the meaning of ‘Cymini sectores’? Who are called ‘Cymini sectores’ and why? When should one study those who are called ‘Cymini sectores’?
Ans. Cymini sectores’ is a Latin phrase that means splitters of hair. This phrase is used to mean those persons who focus on every minute detail and can differentiate even very tiny objects.
Here the Schoolmen philosophers or grammarians of the Medieval Europe are termed as ‘Cymini sectores’. This is because, these people paid attention to every minute detail of a subject or even slight differences of ideas.
According to Bacon if a person lacks the ability to find differences between two things or if his mind is not suitable to distinguish, he should study the Schoolmen or ‘Cymini sectores’.
10. “So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics”-Why according to Bacon should a man with wandering wit study mathematics?
Ans. Bacon here suggests the remedy for a particular defect of mind. Here he wants to convey that if a man possesses wandering mind i.e., if he lacks concentration then he should study mathematics. Mathematical problems require rapt attention. Even a slight distraction of mind might lead to losing connection with what is done before. Thus one has to begin again from the first step. Therefore if one gets oneself involved in solving the mathematical problems, gradually his power of concentration will surely be improved. That is why Bacon suggests for a man with wandering wit to study mathematics.
11. “So every defect of mind may have a special receipt”-How does Bacon prove this point in his essay ‘Of Studies’?
Ans. This is the concluding line of Bacon‘s essay Of Studies’. Bacon like a Renaissance physi cian seems to prescribe efficacious elixirs for the persons having the defects of mind. And with this helpful prescription he pens off his essay. He states here how different branches of studies help to procure different mental defects or ailments. To illustrate his point he cites some examples. He says that a man with a wandering mind needs to study mathematics to develop his power of concentration. Similarly, for the man who can not easily differentiate between two things, Bacon prescribes the books of ‘Schoolmen’ as they are hair-splitters. Again when a man has the dearth of clarity in arguments to compare one thing with another with logical proof one should learn the ‘Lawyers’ cases’. Thus, for Bacon every psychic problem finds its own solution through proper studies.
12. “that need to be pruning”-What is referred to here by ‘that’? Why according to Bacon ‘that’ needs pruning?
Ans. Here that refers to a man’s natural abilities. Bacon has compared natural abilities of a man with natural plants. According to Bacon studies help to develop man’s natural abilities, but these natural abilities are perfected by experience. The essayist elaborates his point through a simile. To him natural qualities or Intrinsic qualities are just like wild plants. As the natural and wild plants need continual pruning to give a proper and beautiful shape, the natural abilities of a man get perfection and proper shape only through proper studies which are sharpened by practical experience.
Read More – As You Like It MCQ