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jackson6612
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Bacon did not propose an actual philosophy, but rather a method of developing philosophy. He argued that although philosophy at the time used the deductive syllogism to interpret nature, the philosopher should instead proceed through inductive reasoning from fact to axiom to law. Before beginning this induction, the inquirer is to free his or her mind from certain false notions or tendencies which distort the truth. These are called "Idols" (idola), and are of four kinds:
* "Idols of the Tribe" (idola tribus), which are common to the race;
* "Idols of the Den" (idola specus), which are peculiar to the individual;
* "Idols of the Marketplace" (idola fori), coming from the misuse of language; and
* "Idols of the Theatre" (idola theatri), which result from an abuse of authority.
The end of induction is the discovery of forms, the ways in which natural phenomena occur, the causes from which they proceed.
The difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is mostly in the way the arguments are expressed. Any inductive argument can also be expressed deductively, and any deductive argument can also be expressed inductively.
I have to confess the deduction and induction always confuses me. I'm not a science or maths student so please keep your answers simple.
Deduction proceeds from a general to specific and in induction the order is reversed. Any object thrown upward falls back to the ground. So a ball will fall back because it's an object (Deduction). All the balls thrown upward fall back to the ground, and as ball is an object therefore all the objects will do the same. What is Bacon trying to say? In maths, we first prove a formula for some specific cases (because we have no other option - we cannot proceed backward from general case n), then proceed to a general case n. Even if we have reversed the order, the argument would still be that much valid. If it holds for nth terms, then obviously it will hold for n=1,2,3,...
I hope you get what I'm trying to say. Thanks.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/induc/ind-ded.html
* "Idols of the Tribe" (idola tribus), which are common to the race;
* "Idols of the Den" (idola specus), which are peculiar to the individual;
* "Idols of the Marketplace" (idola fori), coming from the misuse of language; and
* "Idols of the Theatre" (idola theatri), which result from an abuse of authority.
The end of induction is the discovery of forms, the ways in which natural phenomena occur, the causes from which they proceed.
The difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is mostly in the way the arguments are expressed. Any inductive argument can also be expressed deductively, and any deductive argument can also be expressed inductively.
I have to confess the deduction and induction always confuses me. I'm not a science or maths student so please keep your answers simple.
Deduction proceeds from a general to specific and in induction the order is reversed. Any object thrown upward falls back to the ground. So a ball will fall back because it's an object (Deduction). All the balls thrown upward fall back to the ground, and as ball is an object therefore all the objects will do the same. What is Bacon trying to say? In maths, we first prove a formula for some specific cases (because we have no other option - we cannot proceed backward from general case n), then proceed to a general case n. Even if we have reversed the order, the argument would still be that much valid. If it holds for nth terms, then obviously it will hold for n=1,2,3,...
I hope you get what I'm trying to say. Thanks.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/induc/ind-ded.html
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