Francis Bacon: Idols of the Mind

My college professor brought this up in class this week. I thought it would be a good post to make here.

(Source: http://bible.ovu.edu/terry/fouridol.htm )


Idols of the Tribe

--hindrances to understanding based on human nature
People try to make things fit into patterns
People look for evidence to support their conclusions
People don't like to think deeply
People have trouble conceiving the finite/infinity
People are affected by what they want to believe
People have senses that can fool them--they see what they expect to see
People like to abstract/generalize

Idols of the Cave

--hindrances to understanding based on individual shortcomings
Individuals favor ideas that support previous conclusions
Some individuals favor differences; others favor similarities
Some individuals favor antiquity; others favor novelty
Some individuals favor the parts to the exclusion of the whole; others favor the whole to the exclusion of parts

Idols of the Marketplace

--hindrances to understanding based on words
People imagine and name things that do not exist
Words have a range of meanings

Idols of the Theater

--hindrances to understanding based on a system of philosophy, theology, or tradition