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Annotated Bibliography of Francis Bacon and the Four Idols of the Mind

Sorana, Corneanu and Vermeir Koen. “Idols of the Imagination: Francis Bacon on the

Imagination and the Medicine of the Mind”. Perspectives on Science, 20.2, (2012):183-206. p24

The article relied on Bacon’s ideology and it establishes their relationships from the mental-medicine perspective. Sorana and Koen argued that imagination played the most important role and they further examined how imagination served as the crucial point of the idolic mind using the Bacon’s tree of knowledge. The article focuses on four branches of Bacon’s ideology and they include: the mind, the body and their leagues. In addition, the article further examined the relationship between the body using natural philosophy, philosophy of the man and the moral philosophy. They argued that the imagination is a powerful aspect that influences the conception of cure, both in epistemic and in physiological perspectives. The article proposes that drawing from Bacon’s views on imagination, it is a powerful aspect that signals the ability diagnosis of the body and mind and also, influences the cure of both.

Sorana and Koen cinducted a secondary research on Bacon’s findings on the Four Idols of the mind with an aim of establishing how the impression upon a fantastic dream, resulted in activity of the whole mind and body, rather than simply the use of sense. They found that imagination relied on two concepts: the mind perception and the judgment. The research findings indicated that imagination was the image of the soul and that it had a direct influence on the impression, assent and impulse of the mind and the body.

One of the strengths of the article is the use of a qualitative approach to establish the relationship between imagination and the cure of the mind and the body. The article uses a comprehensive and interpretative approach about Bacons ideology of the four idols of the mind that makes it easier for the reader to understand. However, the article mostly relied on one source to draw its findings. Despite the article relied on limited sources, I find that it is reliable since it was published currently. I think that the article can be used for further research.

Jalobeanu, Dana. “Francis Bacon, Early Modern Baconians, and the Idols of Baconian

Scholarship”. Society & Politics / Societate ?i Politic? ,7.1, (2013): 5-27, 23p

Jalobeanu main focus was analyze the some of the question that have been raised concerning the four idols of the mind and the other approaches to Francis’s modern ideology. In particular, Jalobeanu was more interested in the latest developments on the Bacon’s perspective of the four idols of the mind. Jalobeanu found that there was a rift between the views which were raised by Francis Bacon in the historical and the philosophical fields and, the fascinating developments of case studies in the intellectual history. In that regard, Jalobeanu suggested that there was a need to reduce the complexity by focusing on the recently developed directions of the research. Jalobeanu argues that the earlier researcher did not adequately explore the concept of the four idols of Francis Bacons and as search, the article focuses on developing wider contexts of the studies in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the four idols of the mind.

Jalobeanu research was based on a case study in which she tried to identify main points that had been raised by Francis Bacon, and other scholars. The case study focused on historians such as Stephen Beasley and Linnard Penrose and she found that there was a distinction between the new and the old. The father of the modern science has had made positive contributions by developing the concept of progress. She argued that the modern science had advanced Baconian ideology by explaining the possibility of forming a restoring powers and morals at the Fall. She compared this approach to the views of other scholars and argues that Bacon’s four idols of the mind, unlike the earlier perspectives, were important in promoting new language and method of science.

One of the limitations of this article is the unclear demonstration of the conflicting views of the past and the present scholar which makes it difficult to understand the author’s points of view. The article should use clear explanations that can be easy for the reader to understand. Nevertheless, the research findings were based on case studies which make the article to be valid and reliable for further research.

Yao, Xinzhong. Philosophy of Learning In Wang Yangming And Francis Bacon. Journal of

Chinese Philosophy, 40.3-4, (2013): 417–435

In this article, Yao paid attention to the comparative study of the arguments advanced by Francis Bacon and Wang. Yao argued that there were different ways of evaluating the views of Francis Bacon and Wang Yangming and as a result, Yao explained that this was the reason Chinese ideologies differed from the Europe ideologies. Yao states that Bacon used the four idols of the mind to explain how the mind, body and souls relate with one another while on the other hand, Yangming focused on understanding of the heart-mind’. Yao concluded by proposing that the mutual complementarity of the two philosophical approaches, rather than opposition, would result in modern and better way of understanding the underlying concepts.

The research findings were based on experimental test, win which the researcher noted the behavioral patterns of the Europeans and the Chinese people. The researcher found that Chinese relied on the heart-mind learning which made to achieve idealistic humanism. Conversely, Yao found that the Europeans considered the human learning was based on the prospects of understanding “knowledge” and “commodity of human life”.

I find that the article draws its strength from use of experimental research; its findings are based on empirical research. However, the findings are limited since the article relied only on two sources to derive its conclusions. The article should have relied on different sources for it to be valid.

Lewis, Rhodri. “Francis Bacon and Ingenuity”. Renaissance Quarterly, 67.1, (2014): 113-163.

51p.

Lewis focused on a different topic; the article examined the discourse of the Latin term “ingenium”, in relation to the Bacon’s writings. The articles revealed that even though the term served a different meaning when translated in English, Bacon used the term to refer to various ranges of senses. In particular, the article indicates that bacon used the term to expand on the discourse of inventiveness which was common during the sixteenth century, but also notes a distinction with the scope of ingenious which was developed, criticized and understood the other Baconians after his death. Lewis shows that Bacon slightly differed from the thought which Aristotle used to supplant the meaning of ingenuity (the demonstrative knowledge), rather, he regarded the term to refer to be a province of intellect.

Lewis relied used secondary research to develop his arguments such as the views of philosophers such as Graham Rees, bishop of Winchester, Thomas Cooper and other scholars, to establish the different meanings that were attached to the term ingenuity. He found that due to the way the term illuminated different views from bacon’s prose and the other scholars, their conviction to the term made it to occupy unusually semantic field in the definition of intellectualism.

I find that one of the strengths of the article is the clear and well distinguished points from all the scholars. Furthermore, the article has used numerous sources to back up its arguments. However, the article has provided limited views on Bacon’s perspective of ingenuity. The research should have shown how Bacon uses the term to refer different meanings. I find the article is reliable since it has been published lately; therefore, it contains recent findings on bacon’s views.

McKnight, Stephen A. The Religious Foundations of Francis Bacon’s Thought. Columbia:

University of Missouri Press, 2006. Print

McKnight focused on the religious perspective of Francis Bacon’s thought particularly how the sign of hope led to an individual overcoming and making a progress on his or her current state. The book provided a detailed criticism of the Aristotelian and the Scholastic philosophy, and introducing the Bacon’s inductive approach. The authors explains that the images that the themes that Bacon used to explain the four idols of the mind, could be understood from the view of God’s interventions and provisions of “new mercies”. The author argues that humans had a history of error and ignorance and which, overriding the providential action of Bacon on humanity, was the responsibility of God to usher new age of peace, harmony and prosperity.

McKnight relied on commentary book-length studies to focus on Bacon’s critiques of classical and medieval epistemology and to present his ideas of bringing the relief to the “man’s estate”. After the study, McKnight found that Bacon’s ideas had some limitations in the way such as the Bacon’s program of instauration ignored its religious dimension.

I find one of the strengths of the book is the use of an analytical approach to the studies pertaining to Baconian and other Scholastic philosophers on the issue of the four idols of the mind and, the elaborate presentation of the religious dimensions. However, most of the research findings are outdated; as a result, this makes the book unreliable for further research. The author should have used current sources to supporting his findings and to research reliable.

Malssen, Tom Van. The Political Philosophy of Francis Bacon: On the Unity of Knowledge.

New York, NY: SUNY Press, 2014. Print

            The book focused on the application of Francis Bacon’s idea in political philosophy and Malssen, using detailed and provocative interpretations, argued that unity of Bacon’s thoughts could be understood by assuming that they were all part of the Bacon’s political philosophy. In addition, the author advanced the writings of Bacon to explain some of the political ideologies such as the science of philanthropy, modern project and ultimately, ourselves.

            The book was based on secondary research on which, the author compared different views from different written materials in order to derive his conclusions. The author focused on the European thought of the Baconian ideology and other sources concerning the Christian Middle age, especially on the issues of providence and omnipotence. The author found that Bacon’s ideologies were based on his secularization that dismissed the theological claims and as a result, had been taken by historians to be historically false.

I find that one of the strengths of this book is the use of variety of sources of information to develop its findings. However, the book did not establish a clear relationship between Bacon’s four idols of the minds and the political philosophy. I think more research needs to be done on the influence of Bacon’s ideas on political philosophy.

Tomoiag?, Ligia, Minodora Barbul and Ramona Demarcsek. From Francis Bacon to William Golding: Utopias and Dystopias of Today and of Yore. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. Print.

The book was written as a dedicated to the works of Bacon and Golding. The authors focused on understanding the present view of utopia, drawing from disciplines such as the philology, philosophy and anthropology. The authors found that the humans had deep attractions towards utopia and dystopia such as the utopian novelists, poets and artistes. They argued that the interpretation of dreams, religious values and the humanistic actions, could be understood understanding the four idols of Francis Bacon and William Golding.

They conducted an experimental research in which they intended to how people placed their thoughts and interests. They found that most individuals’ actions and ideas relied on the utopian and the dystopian fantasies that were created by their minds. I find the findings to be limited in view since most of them were based on people opinions; this would make some of the findings to be biased. However, the book relied on current sources and as a result, the book reliable and relevant.

Desroches, Dennis. Francis Bacon and the Limits of Scientific Knowledge. New York, NY: A&C

Black, 2006. Print.

Desroches aimed to show that although many historians, scientists and philosophers have dismissed Bacon’s influence on Modern experimental science, the author claims the much of the modern work relies on his writings. The author argued that most of the Bacon’s writing applies to the utilitarian theories and most strikingly, the scientific practice today which had been contributed by Thomas Kuhn.

Desroches relied on secondary research such as comparing the works of Francis bacon, Thomas Kuhn and Dr. Sylvia Bowerbank on issues such as the intellectual knowledge. The author found that Bacon thoughts were been applied in scientific practice today and that he was a proleptic father of today’s modernity. I find the author used limited sources to support his findings, as such, the author should have used many sources to develop firm conclusion. However, the book has used a clear and coherent explanation which makes it easier to read and understand. However, the book has used sources which are outdated; this makes it unreliable for further research. The author should have used current source for the findings to be reliable and relevant.