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Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, lawyer, and scientist from the early 1600’s. Francis Bacon’s major contribution to philosophy was his application of induction, the approach used by modern science. Otherwise, known as the scientific method. There are 2 steps evident in Bacon’s inductive method which includes: 1. Observe data and 2. Make generalizations from observations. Bacon believed the bible allowed him to explore nature, in which he used his method.
Bacon states “Science, on the other hand should be, by definition progressive, since it is based on limited empirical evidence which is used to test tentative theories with limited scope. ” (Bacon, Francis, pg. 6, www. thingsrevealed. net/organon1. htm). He believes you should be able to test science without a narrow view, and not draw conclusions on limited sampling. He referred to the bible and used it with an intellectual interpretation to produce theories. He believed the bible was made to advance Science, and it is not what you read, but how you interpret it.
For example, the bible didn’t say the world is flat, but it was left up to you to explore and find out for yourself if it was flat or not. God’s evidence was incomplete; therefore, more research is needed to find the truth. As individuals search for more information, the conclusion can then be supported by new evidence. “The reason why the Orthodox Church did not teach that the earth is not flat is that the bible does not teach any such thing. ” (Bacon Francis, pg. 3, www. thingsrevealed. net/organon1. htm). The bible’s comments about earth were left to many different interpretations.
One interpretation was by priests of the catholic churches as well as the disciples of God who believed the earth was flat. Next Bacon turns to some of the ancient fathers of the Christian church. These, he said “did not show forbearance toward those who believed that the earth was round and had poles. Today evolutionists often accuse Biblical creationists of believing the earth was flat. The history of the flat-earth myth is interesting and complex, but the fact is that part of the myth is that the majority of the church fathers ever did believe the earth was flat. (Bacon, Francis, pg. 3, www. thingsrevealed. net/organon1. htm). Bacon bases his principle on myths, which proves inductive reasoning, is not logically valid. He arrived at a general claim that most people thought the earth was flat. Inductive reasoning” is the process of reasoning that a general principle is true because the cases you’ve seen are true. Nobody could see the earth was flat so how do you know if it really is flat. Bacon wants proof and evidence to show the realities of nature through ongoing observations and experimentation.
This brings us to how the bible can lead us to inductive reasoning. God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. God forbade them to eat the “Fruit of Knowledge”. Although, they ignored him and ate it anyway, they were left on their own to explore things without the protection of him. Some individuals’ interpretations were that God was punishing them `This particular species of theologian is a cowardly sort who secretly fears that if he turns over the wrong stone he may overturn his own faith. “ (Bacon, Francis, pg. 5, www. thingsrevealed. et/organon1. htm). In contrast, God was giving them permission to look into things further through their own observations. Bacon concludes you have to see it in order to believe it. Therefore, by using inductive reasoning, it moves from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories. Inductive reasoning, by its very nature, is more open-ended and exploratory. Inductive reasoning is the process of arriving at a conclusion based on a set of observations. For example: All observed tree tops are green, therefore all tree tops are green.
Bacon’s 2 steps provide a solid foundation for the exploration of science and nature but it is also wise to involve insight, creativity and inspiration when discovering the truth. Inductive reasoning/scientific method in Greek is Bacon’s “organon” which in English translates to a tool that he provides to get closer to discovering the truth. With truth comes knowledge and power. Francis Bacon was the originator of the expression, “Knowledge is Power. ” Bibliography Francis Bacon: The New Organon, September 20, 1997, www. thingsrevealed. net / organon1. htm.