IEP 26 Brian

The Baconian Project

Sir Francis Bacon• English

• Lived between 1561–1626

• Played multiple roles: lawyer, historian, intellectual reformer, philosopher, and advocate of modern science

• “Scientia Potentia est.”—Knowledge is Power

• Scientific/Baconian Method

• The Baconian Project

Instauratio

Magna

• Instauration—restoration, renewal

• 6 parts planned, only 2 are completed• Partitions of the Sciences (De Dignitate et

Augmentis Scientiarum)• New Method (Novum Organum)• Natural History (Historia Naturalis)• Ladder of the Intellect (Scala Intellectus)• Anticipations of the 2nd Philosophy (Anticipationes

Philosophiæ Secunda)• The Second Philosophy or Active Science

(Philosophia Secunda aut Scientia Activae)

The Great Instauration

• Bacon was unable to find a receptive audience prior the publish of Novum Organum.

• De Dignitate et Augmentis Scientiarum• Published in 1623

• Novum Organum• First appeared in 1620

• Contains the essence of Bacon’s philosophy

• The Baconian Method!

The Great Instauration

• Two parts

• I• “ends the “pulling down” of “the signs and causes of

the errors” within the sciences”• 3 refutations: • refutation of ‘natural human reason’ (idols)• refutation of ‘demonstrations’ (syllogisms) • refutation of ‘theories’ (traditional philosophical

systems).

• II• Bacon’s rule of interpreting nature• The process of induction

Novum Organum

 (1) Surveying the state of things along with a plan of action

(2) Discovering/developing a method

(3) Collecting a databank

(4) Presenting data through suitable illustrated examples

(5) Drawing out temporary axioms or ideas of truth derived from the examples

(6) The development of final axioms or certainties as a result of putting the ideas into action—the test being that ‘truth prints goodness’; therefore only if the action and its result is truly good, on all counts, will we achieve illumination

The Baconian Method

The Baconian Method

Dawkins, Peter. "The Great Instauration." The Great Instauration. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.fbrt.org.uk/pages/essays/essay-gt_inst.html>. 

Klein, Jürgen. "Francis Bacon." Stanford University. Stanford University, 29 Dec. 2003. Web. 12 Jan. 2015. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/francis-bacon/#SciMetNovOrgTheInd>.

 "Francis Bacon." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/francis-bacon-9194632#philosopher-of-science>.

 "Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/bacon/#SH2d>.

References

http://aeon.co/magazine/science/philip-ball-history-science/

http://www.abstraktmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/knowledge-is-power-41.jpg

http://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2013/01/shadow-1.jpg

http://conlonconsultancy.co.uk/Assets/Absence-Management.jpg

http://www.nathepi.com/images/default/img2.jpg

Image References

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