DAY 59 Seminars in Epistemology

Seminar Documents -
and
Seminar Instructions


Notes on Francis Bacon's "New Method"
This was Part 1 of a larger work, the Great Instauration - a new way of investigating nature - really, the beginning of the journey to the modern scientific method.

He suggests a new system of logical conclusions based on induction rather than on syllogism.

Induction - begins with the facts and works towards general axioms.  An axiom is a statement generally thought to be true.

'Currently men's minds are filled with various foolish and incorrect notions that prevent them from understanding nature properly.'  "False notions" are based on idols -

Idol of the Tribe - overestimate our own importance in how we perceive things.
Idol of the Cave - we think we all live in the same cave, that our personal experience is similar to others'.
Idol of the Marketplace - language interferes with understanding - it's always biased.
Idol of the Theater - we don't want to lose face, we tend to defend our own beliefs.

Up to 1620, the Aristotelian Method of Syllogism was used widely.  Bacon argued that people gave excessive respect for ancient authors.

Syllogisms

Categorical Syllogism:
a. Madelle is human.
b. Humans are mortal.
c. Therefore, Madelle is mortal.

Disjunctive Syllogism:
a. The meeting is either at home or at school.
b. The meeting is not at home.
c. Therefore, the meeting is at school.

Conditional Syllogism:
a. If Johnny is eating sweets every day, he is placing himself at risk of diabetes.
b. Johnny does NOT eat sweets every day.
c. Therefore, Johnny is not placing himself at risk of diabetes.

This last example is flawed because there are OTHER factors that could be involved.  It is this kind of thinking involving understanding nature that Bacon argued against.  He argued that the original Organon (Aristotle's method of acquiring information) was flawed as it was based on the third example AND that if based on the first two examples, there was still much room for error.

William Gilbert (Elizabeth I doctor) - he established the fact that the earth is like a giant magnet - positive charge at both poles.  He began the new thinking, but died before completing it.  Bacon completed this line of thinking.

Privileged Instances - Bacon identified many examples of nature that reveal the truth in great detail and with great clarity.