1. Bacon and the Empiricists
Daniela Rölz & Isabel von Ploetz
SoSe 2004
Innovation, change and decision-making in international organisations

2. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

3. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

4. Francis Bacon ( )

5. Life & Political Career
1561 Sir Francis Bacon was born in London
1573 entered Trinity College in Cambridge
1584 elected to Parliament
1601 plot to kidnap Queen Elizabeth I

6. Life & Political Career
1603 James I became king
1604 Appointed King’s Counsel
1618 Made Lord Chancellor
1621 charged with bribery and prohibited from sitting in parliament
1626 Francis Bacon died

7. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

8. Empiricism Philosophical movement in the 18th century.
All knowledge comes from experience
↔ Rationalism (17th century): knowledge comes from concepts known instinctively through reason; concepts = innate ideas (Descartes)
Empiricists: Francis Bacon, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, George Berkeley

9. Bacon`s new directions
Bacon is often thought as the originator of Modern Empiricism.
He wrote a radical new way for discovering truth.
people shouldn’t use the theories they had inherited

10. Bacon`s new directions
He was opposed to theories that come before the facts
We should start with observations and build our theories upon them
build knowledge on experience
knowledge shouldn't be built on little or unsystematic experience

11. The New Organon (1620)
„Novum Organum“ or „True Directions for the Interpretation of Nature“
the Greek word organon means “instrument” or “tool”
new instrument for guiding and correcting the mind in its search for a true understanding of nature
Aphorism = short saying, referred just to the way he wrote

12. The Idols
“idols” are characteristic errors, natural tendencies or defects of the mind
prevent the mind from achieving a full and accurate understanding of nature
“idol” derives from the Greek word eidolon (which means “image” or “phantom”)
According to Bacon: Idols = prejudices of the mind
they prevent a successful study of natural phenomena

13. 1. Idols of tribe prejudices arising from human nature
natural weaknesses like the senses (which are inherently dull and easily deceivable)
Bacon: we tend to find regularity where there is actually randomness, etc.
tendency towards “wishful thinking.”
natural preference to accept, believe, and even prove what we would prefer to be true
tendency to rush into conclusions, instead of collecting evidence

14. 2. Idols of cave
prejudices coming from psychic condition of the human soul
vary from individual to individual (unlike idols of tribe)
referring to our culture
reflect prejudices and beliefs that we have because of our cultural background (different family backgrounds, childhood experiences, education, training, gender, religion, social class, etc.)

15. 3. Idols of marketplace prejudices resulting from social relationships
hindrances to clear thinking
main culprit = language (not only common speech, but also special discourses, vocabularies)
two types:
names of things that do not exist
faulty, vague or misleading names for things that do exist (abstract qualities and value terms such as “moist” or “useful,”)
can be a source of confusion

16. 4. The Idols of the Theatre
prejudices deriving from false philosophical systems
rather culturally acquired than inborn (like idols of cave)
metaphor of a theatre suggests artificial imitation of truth
Bacon: idols derive mainly from schemes or systems of philosophy (Sophistical, Empirical, Superstitious P.)

17. Induction
opposite: Deduction  Drawing a particular conclusion from a general premises
Induction: Drawing a conclusion based on your own experience
propositions: axiom: maxim

18. Induction (2)
problem: general axioms prove false, all the intermediate axioms may be false as well
Bacon: step by step from one axiom to another, so that the most general is not reached till the last  each axiom = step up on “the ladder of intellect”

19. Induction (3)
Bacon: Induction is a lot more secure and scientific than deduction
necessary tool for the proper interpretation of nature
differs from the classic induction of Aristotle and other logicians:
they always wanted to draw general conclusions as soon as possible
general conclusion = basis for further work

20. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

21. The Idea of Progress
1605 “The Advancement of Learning” – first important philosophical work
3 Distempers of Learning:
fantastical learning
contentious learning
delicate learning

22. The Idea of Progress Fantastical learning:
Could be called “pseudo-science”
Lack of real and substantial foundation
Professed by occultists and charlatans

23. The Idea of Progress Contentious Learning:
Criticized Aristotelian philosophy
Aim: not new knowledge or deeper understanding, but endless debates

24. The Idea of Progress Delicate Learning:
according to the revival of Ciceronian rhetorical embellishment
criticized preoccupation with words and style

25. The Idea of Progress Expanded version of the Advancement
3 categories for a new division of human knowledge:
History
Poesy
Philosophy
Prestige of Philosophy had to be elevated,
while that of history and literature (humanism) needed to be reduced.

26. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

27. Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Reference to the past (literary and philosophical)
Latin was universal language of philosophy
Since 1860 translation of his works in English
Bacon’s theory lost it’s semiotic foundation

28. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

29. Thomas Hobbes ( )

30. Thomas Hobbes
He helped Bacon to write down his ideas, when Bacons‘ infirmities prevented him from doing it for himself.
After Bacon‘s death, he presented a theory of social science
based on careful observation  Baconian method of science

31. John Locke ( )

32. John Locke Essay ”Concerning Human Understanding” (1690)
He was the first to give a logic for Empiricism.
Main interest: illuminating knowledge and examining its validity
Locke: attempt to prove everything by nature and fact (like Bacon)

33. John Locke He denied that there are innate ideas.
Human intellect = clean sheet of paper
Everything which is written on it, takes its origin from experience
Experience: external (sensation) and internal (reflection)

34. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

35. Conclusion and Cultural Legacy
“Universal Genius”
political statesman and practical visionary
Many admirers (Kant, Voltaire)
controversial: Bacon’s view that nature exists mainly for human use and benefit

36. Bacon and the Empiricists
Francis Bacon, Life and political career
Bacon‘s new directions
- Empiricism
- The New Organon
The Idea of Progress
- The Advancement of Learning
Bacon‘s science falls on hard times
Other empiricists: Locke, Hobbes
Conclusion
Discussion

37. Discussion
QUESTIONS???