# Freethought and Freedom: Francis Bacon and the Rise of Secularism

**URL:** <https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/excursions/freethought-and-freedom-francis-bacon-and-the-rise-of-secularism>

**By** George H. Smith

**Published:** December 13, 2017

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George H. Smith explains Francis Bacon’s defense of certainty and his contributions to a secular worldview.

George H. Smith explains Francis Bacon’s defense of certainty and his contributions to a secular worldview.

[Originally published in essay form on May 15, 2015.](https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/freethought-freedom-francis-bacon-rise-secularism)