Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Idols

 

            
             Francis Bacon created "Idols" during the Renaissance. He was focused on inductive reasoning while earlier Aristotle was focused on deductive reasoning. While Bacon was in his state of inductive reasoning, the "Idols" were created. There are four Idols. The Idol of the Tribe, the Idol of the Cave, the idol of the market, and the Idol of the Theater. The Idol of the Theater and the Idols of the Tribe both give insight into what the Idols are. The Idols are defined as anything that prevents one from seeing the truth. Francis Bacon believed these were the true Idols. .
             The Idol of the Theater is described as a person who cannot look outside their own beliefs, even if someone else may be right. Bacon says,.
             And there is yet a third class, consisting of those who out of faith and veneration mix their philosophy with theology and traditions; among whom the vanity of some has gone so far aside as to seek the origin of sciences among spirits and genii. So that this parent stock of errors "this false philosophy-is of three kinds ; the sophistical, the empirical, and the superstitious ."" (421) .
             Bacon explains how it is not good to mix philosophy and superstition with theology because of the mix of faith in God. Philosophies are scientific theories that don't agree with the word of God. .
             The Idols of the theater states that there their were alot philosophers and that they need to conduct more experiments.
             In general, however, there is taken for the material of philosophy either a great deal out of a few things, or a very little out of many things; so that on both sides philosophy is based on too narrow a foundation of experiment and natural history, and decides on the authority of too few cases. For the rational school of philosophers snatches from experience a variety of common instances neither duly ascertained nor diligent examined and weighted, and leaves all the rest to meditation and agitation of wit.


Essays Related to Idols