This work investigates the foundational role of Roger Bacon’s Perspectiva in the development of medieval optical theory and the scientific method. David Lindberg, a historian of science, provides a rigorous critical edition of the original Latin text alongside a modern English translation. By contextualizing Bacon’s work within the intellectual landscape of the thirteenth century, Lindberg argues that Bacon was instrumental in bridging ancient Greek optical theories with the emerging empirical traditions of the Middle Ages.

Scholars and historians of science regard this volume as the definitive reference for understanding Bacon’s contributions to optics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for researchers and students of medieval intellectual history.