Wednesday, November 20, 2024

The Empirical Approach to Learning

The Major Works

The Major Works 

by Francis Bacon



 “If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.”   ― Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning

 

 

 

 

Among other things, the intellectual justification for the scientific empirical approach is provided by this foundational work. Bacon contends that one should examine the evidence of their senses and investigate the outcomes, as the antiquated method of demanding classic authors is inadequate. This excellent collection also includes "The New Atlantic" and a selection of essays.

In "The Advancement of Learning," Francis Bacon argues for a new approach to knowledge acquisition, advocating for the empirical method as the primary means of scientific understanding, emphasizing observation and experimentation over traditional reliance on authority and speculation, with the ultimate goal of improving human life through practical applications of knowledge; he outlines a detailed classification of knowledge, dividing it into history (memory), poetry (imagination), and philosophy (reason), and criticizes existing scholarship for its focus on "vain speculations" rather than useful discoveries for mankind.



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