Sociology's relationship to the early scientific works of Francis Bacon is unclear, partly because there seem to be so many conflicting narratives about his contributions to Western science more generally. In this master's thesis I argue that a postcolonial reading of Bacon's philosophical and epistemological works is crucial for understanding modernity and sociology's relationship to it. More particularly, I argue that the political moment that shaped Bacon's professional career also shaped his epistemology at a remarkably deep level, and I suggest that a hidden complicity between early science and early English colonialism may continue to affect global capitalism in the 21st century. Bacon is the first known person to use the word "colonize", and he is also commonly known as the "father of science". In this master's thesis I argue that these two seemingly disparate narratives are intrinsically related. First I argue that Bacon's assertion of his epistemology rested on his belief that its material benefits would help quell colonial resistance. He believed that upon witnessing English commodities indigenous peoples would believe that English culture and governance were worth adopting. Second, I argue that Bacon's emphasis on separating materially useful knowledge from the fictitious "idols of the mind" qualitatively paralleled new proto-racial formation projects of Irish and Native American "others". His historically particular strategy for separating truth from falsehood subtly helped construct Irish and Native American archetypes that would help justify their colonization. I conclude by discussing the ways in which this hidden relationship between colonialism and science may continue to "haunt" sociology and its object of study.