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Novum Organum

Francis Bacon

Natural SciencesEnglish
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Francis Bacon called for a 'great instauration', a complete renewal of human knowledge. In this book, written in Latin aphorisms, he argues that the old…

Catalogue details

Author
Francis Bacon
Category
Natural Sciences
Language
English
Source
Project Gutenberg

About this book

Francis Bacon called for a 'great instauration', a complete renewal of human knowledge. In this book, written in Latin aphorisms, he argues that the old logic of Aristotle, which reasons downwards from general principles, has produced little that is new, and he proposes instead a method of careful observation, experiment and gradual induction from particular facts. He also describes the 'idols' that mislead the mind: those of the tribe, the cave, the marketplace and the theatre, our natural, personal, verbal and inherited prejudices.

Context and significance

Published in 1620, the 'new instrument' of the title answers Aristotle's books on logic, known as the Organon. It is a founding document of the scientific method, and its account of the idols of the mind is still taught in courses on critical thinking. This edition was edited by Joseph Devey. Then turn to Bacon's New Atlantis and his Essays.

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