Describe the idols of the cave, marketplace, theater, and tribe.
Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, scientist, author and statesman. His view over scientific knowledge was different from other scientists and philosophers. His ideas and works were influential among scholars even after his death. Some of his skeptical methodologies made him the father scientific method. According to him, the nature could be understood only by studying it directly, objectively and not subjectively.
According to Bacon, accepting a theory may involve biases in one’s observations. He even called Aristotle as a biased researcher because he applied final causes to science without understanding the facts.
Bacon discredits final causes as they lead to difficulties in science. He also explained four sources of errors, which can lead difficulties in science and they are as follows:
1. The idols of cave – These are personal biases caused due to the preconditioned system of every individual, personal experiences, education, custom or feelings. It involves conceptions familiar to the individuals who destroy them without understanding the evidence of truth.
2. The idols of tribe – It includes false conceptions due to the human nature. These false conceptions arise due to the misunderstanding of human, which causes distorted reflections of the facts. Humans imagine, judge and see different events in a way he like to which causes biases in understanding the facts of life.
3. The idols of marketplace – It includes false conceptions occurred due to the public communication and descriptions. They also enter the minds of people in terms of words and names and influences one’s way of understanding the world. Bacon distrusted words and believed only on the nature of reality.
4. The idols of theaters – It includes biases, which result from blind belief over the philosophical or theological systems. Viewpoints differ in every individual depending on the environment they grew and these may lead to biases.