Francis Bacon and the Beginnings of the Scientific Revolution

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Francis Bacon and the Beginnings of the
Scientific Revolution
2
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

• Bacon was a central guiding force to the emerging
  modern worldview.

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Biography

• Sir Nicholas Bacon

4
Biography

• Anne Cook Bacon

5
Biography

• Francis Bacon entered Trinity College when he was
  just 12 years old!

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Trinity College Library

• Bacon felt a life of scholarship would be vain if
  that knowledge had no practical purpose (he was
  much disgusted by scholasticism).

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Bacons Literary Career

• Bacons greatest intellectual contribution was
  his championing of modern science and the
  scientific method.

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Science as the Model for Philosophy

• Bacon supposedly coined the phrase knowledge is
  power.
• Knowledge becomes utilitarian.

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Science as the Model for Philosophy

• Bacon promoted the inductive method of
  reasoning. The goal was for philosophy to no
  longer be based on abstract principles, but on
  concrete data.

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The Five Idols

• Idols block the acquisition of new knowledge.
• 1st idol Idols of the Tribe are cultural
  prejudices.

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The Five Idols

• 2nd idol Idols of the Cave are personal
  prejudices.

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The Five Idols

• 2nd idol Idols of the Cave are personal
  prejudices.
• 3rd idol Idols of the Market-Place has to do
  with the tyranny of language.

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The Five Idols

• 3rd idol Idols of the Market-Place has to do
  with the tyranny of language.
• 4th idol Idols of the Theater has to do with
  received tradition.

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The Five Idols

• 4th idol Idols of the Theater has to do with
  received tradition.
• 5th idol Idols of the Schools is a belief in a
  blind rule of reasoning.