Idols of The Mind
Bacon also listed what he called the Idols (false images) of the mind - some are similar to what is now called cognitive bias. He described these as things which obstructed the path of correct scientific reasoning.
- Idols of the Tribe (Idola tribus): This is humans' tendency to perceive more order and regularity in systems than truly exists, and is due to people following their preconceived ideas about things.
- Idols of the Cave (Idola specus): This is due to individuals' personal weaknesses in reasoning due to particular personalities, likes and dislikes.
- Idols of the Marketplace (Idola fori): This is due to confusions in the use of language and taking some words in science to have a different meaning than their common usage.
- Idols of the Theatre (Idola theatri): This is the following of academic dogma and not asking questions about the world.
These four fallacies are sometimes compared to a similar list in the first part of Roger Bacon's Opus Majus which, although it was much older, had not been printed in Bacon's time.
Read more about this topic: Baconian Method
Famous quotes containing the words idols of the, idols of, idols and/or mind:
“There are four classes of idols which beset mens minds. To these for distinctions sake I have assigned namescalling the first class Idols of the Tribe; the second, Idols of the Cave; the third, Idols of the Market-Place; the fourth, Idols of the Theatre.”
—Francis Bacon (15611626)
“There are four classes of idols which beset mens minds. To these for distinctions sake I have assigned namescalling the first class Idols of the Tribe; the second, Idols of the Cave; the third, Idols of the Market-Place; the fourth, Idols of the Theatre.”
—Francis Bacon (15611626)
“There are four classes of idols which beset mens minds. To these for distinctions sake I have assigned namescalling the first class Idols of the Tribe; the second, Idols of the Cave; the third, Idols of the Market-Place; the fourth, Idols of the Theatre.”
—Francis Bacon (15611626)
“He made no resistance whatever, and was stabbed in the back.... I must not dwell upon the fearful repast.... Words have no power to impress the mind with the exquisite horror of their reality.”
—Edgar Allan Poe (18091849)