When1: 1597
When2: 1620
Who: Francis Bacon [Bacon, Francis]
What: statesman/philosopher/essayist
Where: London, England
works\ New Atlantis [1597: about utopia]; Essays [1601]; Advancement of Learning [1605]; Novum Organum or New Organon: Directions for the Interpretation of Nature [1620: about inductive logic]
Detail: He lived 1561 to 1626, became Attorney General [1607], and became Privy Council member. When Edward Coke, whom he was always against legally and personally, had to resign, he became Lord Chancellor, but he had to resign after it became public that he took bribes.
He introduced scientific method, used inductive proof, founded empiricism, and classified all knowledge. He analyzed scholastic, humanistic, and mystical philosophy and separated science from philosophy.
Epistemology
Truth is more important than dogma.
The basis of science should be an empirical technique of finding knowledge {induction, Bacon}. People should gather data, note associations and non-associations between characteristics and events, make hypothesis, and then test the hypothesis by trying to refute it or find exceptions to it. Experimental situation should be reproducible under same conditions. The induction process leads to more experiments and higher laws. People must observe and experiment, because only induction can lead to general knowledge. General knowledge then uses axioms for deduction. However, people should not over-generalize. It is not enough just to gather supporting data for hypothesis, but one must try to prove it false.
Perception and memory errors cause false images and ideas {idols, Bacon}. Thinking can be imprecise and misuse language {marketplace idols} {idols of the marketplace}. Thinking uses previous beliefs {theater idols} {idols of the theater}. Thinking depends on nature, and human thinking has limitations {tribe idols} {idols of the tribe}. Thinking has differences among individual perceptions and thoughts {cave idols} {idols of the cave}. Using people as standard or model also causes these faults. Habits, individual limitations, personal prejudices, and personal feelings also cause these faults. Language ambiguity, word play, and concentration on word rather than idea or meaning can cause these faults. Philosophical dogma, history, tradition, uncritically accepted theories, conventional ideas, reliance on authority, anthropomorphism, and belief in order and purpose can cause these faults.
Senses give no certain knowledge. People must eliminate errors added to perception by nature and self. Removing errors leaves knowledge and fact.
Knowledge knows object formal cause {essence, formal cause}. Object experiences have three groups: ones in which object is present, ones in which it is absent, and ones in which it exhibits different intensities. Essence is present when object is present, absent when object is absent, and more when object is more. Essence can abstract from events involving object. Essence should not abstract from previous concepts.
After finding essence, new situation should test it and related laws. Best situations allow choice between two hypotheses. Building up laws allows general explanation.
Power over nature, to better things, is reason to gain knowledge. Using organized invention and technology can make continual progress. Knowledge is power.
Politics
Law should be certain. Society should improve people's wealth through research and invention. Royal power is greater than law and Parliament.
Social Sciences>Philosophy>History>Epistemology
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Date Modified: 2022.0224