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QUESTIONS
Ø Francis Bacon’s empiricism is more scientific than epistemological. Discuss.
Ø Critically evaluate Francis Bacon’s empiricism.
Bacon as an empiricist
Francis Bacon is popularly referred to, as the father of modern philosophy in England. Bacon developed a system of empiricism that possesses the characteristics of induction, explanation, experimentation, observation; in essence, his empiricist system is scientific. Like every traditional scientist, he prefers the inductive method. As an empiricist, Bacon explained that knowledge via experience must be based on facts that could be observed and experimented. This idea aims at merging empiricism with the methodology of science, which explains why Bacon’s empiricism can be said to be scientific in method.
An evaluation of Bacon’s empiricism
Bacon clearly presents those empirical-epistemological procedures which are practical and scientific, which aid one in overcoming bias, confirming doubts and minimizing errors. Bacon advocates all this in order to filter out the potential and active influences of the idols which distort our views and interpretation of experience. What he aims at is the actualisation of knowledge that is concrete, factual and scientific; for it is only with such knowledge that we can proceed confidently about the physical transformation of the world.
Based on the fact that Bacon perceived the inductive method as more appropriate and scientific, he rejected all forms of deductive thinking, including metaphysics and Aristotle’s logic. Accordingly, Bacon rejected Plato and Aristotle's ideas of “forms” which they perceive as the true essence and nature of things. For Bacon, forms are those scientific laws that govern the operation of things in our empirical world, like the form (law) of gravity. He perceives all theories of abstraction and deduction as nonsensical, on the ground that they are not empirical.
Bacon also radically regards the speculative metaphysical system pioneered by the Greeks as useless and a waste of time. This is because he believes that such rational metaphysical speculation cannot present us with factual knowledge which is relevant for the physical transformation of the world. Therefore, in order to productively transform our world (which is key to empiricism), scientific-empirical knowledge which is derived from experience and experimentation is absolutely necessary.
Bacon on objective knowledge and the idols
Bacon believes that real and true knowledge is objective knowledge, and he holds that empiricism alone (and not rationalism) deals with analysing objective knowledge of things. However, Bacon insists that some particular elements (which he calls idols) do prevent one from attaining objective knowledge about things. These idols are simply emotional commitments that becloud our views. Thus, in order for one to attain objective knowledge about things, one definitely has to purge oneself of these idols. These idols as presented by Bacon are five in number, and these are;
i. Idols of the tribe- These are prejudices and errors which arise from cultural beliefs, that makes one think very shallow and without investigation. E.g. the witch cried last night and then the child died, so the witch killed the child.
ii. Idols of the cave- These are our personal temperaments and behavioural errors which arise from our individual biases. E.g. the feeling that something is probably the best, simply because it is one’s favourite.
iii. Idols of the market place- These are wrong linguistic errors which arise from the bad influence of language use, which tend to give an impression that things have a fixed nature. E.g. neglecting the fact that a word or statement is or could be ambiguous, taking it as though it had one particular meaning.
iv. Idols of the theatre- These are erroneous philosophical ideologies arising from uncritical, speculative and metaphysical thinking, which creates the impression that the physical world is unreal. E.g. the philosophical ideas of the extreme rationalists whom tend to deny the existence of matter.
v. Idols of the school- These are the naive influences of any school of thought which one holds (empiricism inclusive), which leads us to holding views that are not critical, thus making one not to be rigorous in his or her thinking process. E.g. Hume and Rousseau, whom posit that reason is only a servant to the passions.
Bacon’s empirical blueprint
In a manner somewhat similar to Descartes, Bacon highlighted five steps which are aimed at establishing an empirical procedure for scientific research. According to C.B. Okoro, these steps are presented thus;
· Step 1
Begin by eliminating all preconceived ideas and traditional beliefs which come about as a result of shallow and uncritical observation. This stage thus entails clearing one’s mind of all the idols.
· Step 2
Subject everything to careful observation until they become clear.
· Step 3
Proceed to vary the conditions of experimentation, for the purpose of clarity.
· Step 4
Filter out, as well as eliminate all irrelevant elements.
· Step 5
Finally, reconfirm the process of experimentation. This goes on by repeating every procedure several times as possible in order to achieve the same result (repetition in science). This helps to validate that which we hold to be true.
Criticism of bacon’s empiricism (idols)
The idea which Bacon holds that we should clear ourselves of the idols that becloud our views is problematic. The problem with this assertion stems from the fact that, the senses are themselves the sources of these emotional commitments (idols); and it is our senses we use to perceive and process empirical knowledge. Thus, it is confusing to wonder how the senses which is the very source of bias, prejudice, error and emotion, can now then sustain the critical process of evaluating and perceiving truth. This fact tends to justify rationalism as a better means of ascertaining truth than empiricism.
Ø Francis Bacon’s empiricism is more scientific than epistemological. Discuss.
Ø Critically evaluate Francis Bacon’s empiricism.
Bacon as an empiricist
Francis Bacon is popularly referred to, as the father of modern philosophy in England. Bacon developed a system of empiricism that possesses the characteristics of induction, explanation, experimentation, observation; in essence, his empiricist system is scientific. Like every traditional scientist, he prefers the inductive method. As an empiricist, Bacon explained that knowledge via experience must be based on facts that could be observed and experimented. This idea aims at merging empiricism with the methodology of science, which explains why Bacon’s empiricism can be said to be scientific in method.
An evaluation of Bacon’s empiricism
Bacon clearly presents those empirical-epistemological procedures which are practical and scientific, which aid one in overcoming bias, confirming doubts and minimizing errors. Bacon advocates all this in order to filter out the potential and active influences of the idols which distort our views and interpretation of experience. What he aims at is the actualisation of knowledge that is concrete, factual and scientific; for it is only with such knowledge that we can proceed confidently about the physical transformation of the world.
Based on the fact that Bacon perceived the inductive method as more appropriate and scientific, he rejected all forms of deductive thinking, including metaphysics and Aristotle’s logic. Accordingly, Bacon rejected Plato and Aristotle's ideas of “forms” which they perceive as the true essence and nature of things. For Bacon, forms are those scientific laws that govern the operation of things in our empirical world, like the form (law) of gravity. He perceives all theories of abstraction and deduction as nonsensical, on the ground that they are not empirical.
Bacon also radically regards the speculative metaphysical system pioneered by the Greeks as useless and a waste of time. This is because he believes that such rational metaphysical speculation cannot present us with factual knowledge which is relevant for the physical transformation of the world. Therefore, in order to productively transform our world (which is key to empiricism), scientific-empirical knowledge which is derived from experience and experimentation is absolutely necessary.
Bacon on objective knowledge and the idols
Bacon believes that real and true knowledge is objective knowledge, and he holds that empiricism alone (and not rationalism) deals with analysing objective knowledge of things. However, Bacon insists that some particular elements (which he calls idols) do prevent one from attaining objective knowledge about things. These idols are simply emotional commitments that becloud our views. Thus, in order for one to attain objective knowledge about things, one definitely has to purge oneself of these idols. These idols as presented by Bacon are five in number, and these are;
i. Idols of the tribe- These are prejudices and errors which arise from cultural beliefs, that makes one think very shallow and without investigation. E.g. the witch cried last night and then the child died, so the witch killed the child.
ii. Idols of the cave- These are our personal temperaments and behavioural errors which arise from our individual biases. E.g. the feeling that something is probably the best, simply because it is one’s favourite.
iii. Idols of the market place- These are wrong linguistic errors which arise from the bad influence of language use, which tend to give an impression that things have a fixed nature. E.g. neglecting the fact that a word or statement is or could be ambiguous, taking it as though it had one particular meaning.
iv. Idols of the theatre- These are erroneous philosophical ideologies arising from uncritical, speculative and metaphysical thinking, which creates the impression that the physical world is unreal. E.g. the philosophical ideas of the extreme rationalists whom tend to deny the existence of matter.
v. Idols of the school- These are the naive influences of any school of thought which one holds (empiricism inclusive), which leads us to holding views that are not critical, thus making one not to be rigorous in his or her thinking process. E.g. Hume and Rousseau, whom posit that reason is only a servant to the passions.
Bacon’s empirical blueprint
In a manner somewhat similar to Descartes, Bacon highlighted five steps which are aimed at establishing an empirical procedure for scientific research. According to C.B. Okoro, these steps are presented thus;
· Step 1
Begin by eliminating all preconceived ideas and traditional beliefs which come about as a result of shallow and uncritical observation. This stage thus entails clearing one’s mind of all the idols.
· Step 2
Subject everything to careful observation until they become clear.
· Step 3
Proceed to vary the conditions of experimentation, for the purpose of clarity.
· Step 4
Filter out, as well as eliminate all irrelevant elements.
· Step 5
Finally, reconfirm the process of experimentation. This goes on by repeating every procedure several times as possible in order to achieve the same result (repetition in science). This helps to validate that which we hold to be true.
Criticism of bacon’s empiricism (idols)
The idea which Bacon holds that we should clear ourselves of the idols that becloud our views is problematic. The problem with this assertion stems from the fact that, the senses are themselves the sources of these emotional commitments (idols); and it is our senses we use to perceive and process empirical knowledge. Thus, it is confusing to wonder how the senses which is the very source of bias, prejudice, error and emotion, can now then sustain the critical process of evaluating and perceiving truth. This fact tends to justify rationalism as a better means of ascertaining truth than empiricism.
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