Bacon's philosophy. Philosophy of the New Time by Francis Bacon

The first thinker who made an accomplished knowledge base for any knowledge is Francis Bacon. He, together with Rene Descartes, proclaimed the basic principles for the New Age. Bacon's philosophy gave birth to a fundamental precept for Western thinking: knowledge is power. It was in science that he saw a powerful tool for progressive social change. But who was this famous philosopher, what is the essence of his doctrine?

Childhood and youth

The founder of modern philosophy Bacon was born on the twenty-second of January 1561 in London. His father was the highest official at the court of Elizabeth. The atmosphere of the house, the education of parents, undoubtedly influenced the little Francis. At twelve he was sent to Trinity College at Cambridge University. Within three years he was sent to Paris as part of the royal mission, but the young man soon returned because of the death of his father. In England, he took up jurisprudence, and very successfully. However, he considered his successful activity as a juridical only as a springboard to a political and public career. Undoubtedly, all the further philosophy of F. Bacon experienced the experiences of this period. Already in 1584 he was first elected to the House of Commons. At the court of James the First Stuart there was a rapid rise of the young politician. The king gave him a lot of ranks, awards and high posts.

Career

The philosophy of Bacon is closely related to the reign of King James the First. In 1614, the king dissolved the parliament completely and ruled virtually alone. However, in need of advisers, Jacob brought Sir Francis closer to him. Already by 1621 Bacon was appointed lord of the supreme chancellery, Baron of Verulam, Viscount of St. Alban, keeper of the royal press and an honorary member of the so-called Privy Council. When it became necessary for the King to re-gather the parliament, the parliamentarians did not forgive this elevation to an ordinary former lawyer, and he was sent to rest. An outstanding philosopher and politician died on April 9, 1626.

Compositions

During the years of the courtly busy service, F. Bacon's empirical philosophy developed due to his interest in science, law, morality, religion and ethics. His works glorified his author as a great thinker and the actual founder of the whole philosophy of modern times. In 1597 the first work was published under the title "Experiments and instructions", which was then revised twice and republished many times. In 1605 saw the light of the essay "On the Importance and Success of Knowledge, Divine and Human." After his departure from politics, Francis Bacon, whose quotations can be seen in many contemporary works on philosophy, went deep into his mental research. In 1629, the "New Organon" was published, and in 1623 - "On the merits and augmentation of science". Bacon's philosophy, briefly and thesistically stated in an allegorical way for a better understanding of the broad masses, was reflected in the utopian novel The New Atlantis. Other beautiful works: "On the Sky", "On the Principles and Causes", "The History of King Henry the Seventeenth", "The History of Death and Life."

The main thesis

All the scientific and ethical thought of modern times was anticipated by the philosophy of Bacon. It is very difficult to outline the whole of its array, but it can be said that the main purpose of this author's work is to bring to a more perfect kind of communication between things and the mind. It is the mind - the highest measure of value. The philosophy of the New Age and Enlightenment, developed by Bacon, made special emphasis on correcting the barren and vague concepts that are used in the sciences. Hence the need "to look to things with new eyes and restore the arts and sciences and, in general, all knowledge of the human being."

A look at science

Francis Bacon, quoted by almost all eminent philosophers of modern times, believed that science from the time of the ancient Greeks made very little progress in understanding and exploring nature. People began to think less of the initial principles and concepts. Thus, the philosophy of Bacon encourages descendants to pay attention to the development of science and do this to improve all life. He opposed prejudice about science, sought recognition of scientific research and scientists. It was with him that a sharp change in European culture began, it was from his thoughts that many of the philosophies of the New Age grew. Science from a suspicious occupation in the eyes of Europeans becomes a prestigious and important area of knowledge. In this regard, many philosophers, scientists and thinkers are following in the footsteps of Bacon. In place of scholasticism, which was completely cut off from technical practice and knowledge of nature, science comes into being, which has a close connection with philosophy and is based on special experiments and experiments.

A look at education

In his book The Great Restoration of Sciences, Bacon made a well thought out and detailed plan for changing the entire education system: its funding, approved regulations and statutes, and the like. He was one of the first politicians and philosophers to emphasize the importance of measures to provide funds for education and experiments. Bacon also announced the need to revise the teaching programs at universities. Even now, getting acquainted with the reflections of Bacon, one can be surprised at the depth of his vision as a state husband, a scientist and a thinker: the program from the "Great Restoration of Sciences" is still relevant today. It is difficult to imagine how revolutionary it was in the seventeenth century. It was thanks to Sir Francis that the seventeenth century in England became "the century of great scientists and scientific discoveries." It was Bacon's philosophy that became the forerunner of such modern disciplines as sociology, the economy of science and science. The main contribution of this philosopher to the practice and theory of science was that he saw the need to bring scientific knowledge to the methodological and philosophical justification. Philosophy F. Bacon was aimed at the synthesis of all sciences in a single system.

The differentiation of science

Sir Francis wrote that the most correct division of man's knowledge is the division into three natural abilities of a rational soul. History in this scheme corresponds to memory, philosophy is reason, and poetry is imagination. History is divided into civil and natural. Poetry is divided into parabolic, dramatic and epic. The most detailed consideration is the classification of philosophy, which is divided into a huge number of subspecies and species. Bacon also separates her from "divinely inspired theology," which he provides exclusively to theologians and theologians. Philosophy is divided into the natural and the transcendent. The first block includes the teachings of nature: physics and metaphysics, mechanics, mathematics. They form the backbone of such a phenomenon as the philosophy of modern times. Bacon is wide and wide thinking about the person. In his ideas there is a doctrine about the body (this includes medicine, athletics, art, music, cosmetics), and the doctrine of the soul, which has many subsections. It includes such sections as ethics, logic (the theory of memorization, discovery, judgment) and "civil science" (which includes the doctrine of business relations, the state, the government). The complete classification of Bacon does not leave without due attention any of the existing at that time areas of knowledge.

"New Organon"

The philosophy of Bacon, briefly and theses described above, blooms in the book "The New Organon." It begins with the reflection that a person is an interpreter and servant of nature, understands and commits, comprehends in the order of nature by meditation or deed. The philosophy of Bacon and Descartes, his actual contemporary, is a new milestone in the development of world thought, as it involves the renewal of science, the complete elimination of false concepts and "phantoms", which, in the opinion of these thinkers, deeply encompassed the human mind and strengthened in it. The "New Organon" states that the old medieval church-scholastic way of thinking is in a deep crisis, and this kind of knowledge (like the corresponding methods of investigation) is imperfect. Bacon's philosophy is that the path of knowledge is extremely difficult, since the knowledge of nature is like a labyrinth in which it is necessary to make a path and whose roads are diverse and often deceptive. And those who usually lead people along these paths, often themselves get lost from them and increase the number of wandering and wandering. That is why there is an urgent need to carefully study the principles of obtaining new scientific knowledge and experience. The philosophy of Bacon and Descartes, and then of Spinoza, is based on the establishment of an integral structure and methodology of cognition. The first task here is cleansing of the mind, its liberation and preparation for creative work.

Ghosts - what is it?

Bacon's philosophy speaks of cleansing the mind, so that he approaches the truth, which consists of three exposures: the exposure of the human brain, philosophies and proofs. Accordingly, there are four "ghosts". What is it? These are obstacles that prevent a true, genuine consciousness:

1) "ghosts" of the genus, which have a basis in human nature, in the human race, "in the tribe";

2) the "phantoms" of the cave, that is, the delusions of a particular person or a group of people that are conditioned by the "cave" of the individual or the group (that is, the "small world");

3) "ghosts" of the market, which stem from people's communication;

4) the "ghosts" of the theater, infiltrating the soul from the wrong laws and dogmas.

All these factors must be discarded and refuted by the triumph of reason over prejudice. It is the social-educational function that is the basis of the doctrine of this kind of interference.

"Ghosts" of the genus

Bacon's philosophy states that such hindrances are inherent in the mind of a person who is inclined to ascribe much more uniformity and order to things than can actually be found in nature. The mind seeks to fit artificially new data and facts to its own convictions. The person lends itself to arguments and arguments, which most impress the imagination. Limited knowledge and the connection of the mind with the world of feelings - the problems of modern philosophy , which great thinkers and tried to solve with their writings.

Ghosts of the Cave

Arise from the difference of people: some love more private sciences, others are inclined to general philosophizing and reasoning, others revere ancient knowledge. These differences, which result from individual characteristics, significantly obscure and distort knowledge.

Ghosts of the market

This is the product of the misuse of names and words. According to Bacon, hence the features of the philosophy of modern times that are aimed at combating sophistical inaction, verbal skirmishes and disputes begin. Names and names can be given to things that do not exist, and on this occasion theories are created, false and empty. For a while fiction becomes real, and this is the paralyzing influence for knowledge. More complex "ghosts" grow out of ignorant and bad abstractions, which are put into wide scientific and practical use.

Ghosts of the Theater

They do not penetrate secretly into the mind, but are transmitted from false laws and fictional theories and are perceived by other people. Bacon's philosophy classifies the "ghosts" of the theater according to the forms of erroneous thinking and thinking (empiricism, sophistry and superstition). For practice and science, which are caused by fanatical and dogmatic adherence to pragmatic empiricism or metaphysical reflections, there are always negative consequences.

Teaching about the method: the first requirement

Francis Bacon refers to people whose mind is shrouded in habit and captivated by it, who does not see the need to dismember the whole picture of nature and the image of things in the name of contemplating the one and the whole. It is through the "fragmentation", "separation", "separation" of the processes and bodies that make up nature that one can be established in the integrity of the universe.

The doctrine of the method: the second requirement

This clause specifies the specifics of "dismemberment". Bacon believes that separation is not a goal, but a means by which to identify the lightest and simplest components. The subject of consideration here should be maximally specific and simple bodies, as if they "are discovered in their nature in its ordinary course."

Teaching about the method: the third requirement

The search for a simple nature, a simple beginning, as Francis Bacon explains, does not mean that we are talking about specific material bodies, particles or phenomena. The goals and tasks of science are much more complicated: it is necessary to look again at nature, discover its forms, look for the source that produces the nature. It is about opening a law that could become the basis of activity and knowledge.

Teaching about the method: the fourth requirement

The philosophy of Bacon says that first of all it is necessary to prepare an "experimental and natural" history. In other words, it is necessary to enumerate and summarize what nature itself says to reason. Consciousness that is left to itself, and driven by itself. And already in this process it is necessary to allocate methodological rules and principles that will make empirical research turn into a true understanding of nature.

Social and practical ideas

It can not be in any way belittled the merits of Sir Francis Bacon as a politician and statesman. The scope of his social activity was enormous, which would become the hallmark of many philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in England. He highly appreciates mechanics and mechanical inventions, which, in his opinion, are incomparable with spiritual factors and more qualitatively affect human affairs. Like wealth, which becomes a public value, unlike the ideal of scholastic asceticism. The technical and production capabilities of the company are unconditionally approved by Bacon, as well as technical development. He has a positive attitude towards the modern state and economic system, which will also be characteristic of many philosophers of the subsequent time. Francis Bacon confidently advocates the expansion of the colonies, gives detailed advice on the painless and "fair" colonization. As a direct participant in UK politics, he speaks highly of the activities of industrial and trading companies. Personality of a simple honest businessman, enterprising entrepreneur causes sympathy for Bacon. He gives many recommendations on the most humane and preferred methods and methods of personal enrichment. The antidote against mass riots and confusion, as well as poverty, Bacon sees in a flexible policy, subtle state attention to the needs of the public and increase the wealth of the population. Specific methods that he recommends are tax regulation, the opening of new trade routes, the improvement of crafts and agriculture, the benefits to manufactories.