The Scientific Theory Of Science

Francis Bacon helped change Europe ideologically through his understanding of science. Bacon strove to create and understand new outlines for all of science, but focused mainly on scientific methods. He did so by introducing his own method called the Baconian, or inductive, approach. This approach brought a new understanding on how to gather information and how to form more logical conclusions. In one of his late writings, New Atlantis, Bacon described culture in a scientific and idealized way. In summary, the book’s meaning was that science should foster technology, which should foster better life. With his own approach to the scientific method and his understanding of the importance of implementing technology into human lives, Bacon played a big role in the ideological advancement throughout Europe.

Chalmers represents the traditional inductivist view with his statement on science. An inductivist makes observations, then creates a general statement that aims to explain the encountered phenomenon. However, Karl Popper, another scientific philosopher, has completely rejected this scientific method and has argued against the sole use of induction when conducting scientific research. Unsatisfied with Chalmers’ method, and the traditional inductive method in general, he instead made his own ‘version’ of the scientific method, dubbed ‘the hypothetico-deductive method’. These two scientific methods contrast each other, and to demonstrate their difference Chalmers’ statement will be evaluated using the typical view of one who subscribes to Popper’s ‘hypothetico-deductive’ method of falsification. I will then evaluate the two methods, commenting on their individual limitations and merits.

(Francis) Bacon stressed experimentation and observation. He wanted science to make life better for people by leading to practical technologies. (Rene) Descartes emphasized human reasoning as the best road to understanding. In his Discourse on Method, he explains how he decided to discard all traditional authorities and search for provable knowledge. (Ellis, Elser

Rene Descartes, a philosopher from France, expressed his passion for finding the truth within everyday life; he was a very keen rationalist whereas others during this era relied solely on God and his word for their answers to life; Descartes held much belief in logic and wrote many books among varying subjects. In one of his books, Meditations on First Philosophy, he went into

Francis Bacon and René Descartes are also known to have created methods in science. Bacon made the empirical method to be known and he also argued that “scientific knowledge would be useful knowledge” (Sherman, 433). Descartes is known for deductive reasoning which can be defined as “deriving conclusions that logically flowed from a premise” (Sherman, 433-434). He was also famous for doubting everything and is known for the famous quote “I think, therefore I am”. Descartes also argued that there is subjective thinking and there is objective physical matter. This belief is known as Cartesian dualism (Sherman, 434). Descartes’ quote “I think, therefore I am” and his theory of doubting everything is important because it taught people to question things. He inspired scholars, scientists and thinkers after him to keep studying and trying to find

There are many aspects of Rene Descartes’ and Francis Bacon’s practices of approaching the scientific method. When comparing the two scientists, it is clear that there are many similarities. In an effort to compare Rene’ Descartes and Francis Bacon it is important to discover the pioneer’s investigations and philosophies. Both credited with the evolution from Aristotelian discovery to modern science, Descartes and Bacon re imagined science. Through various explorations, Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes created the scientific method we still use today. Descartes believed that only two things in life proved true, that man in fact exists and that mathematics are the base of all truth. Similarly, Bacon believed in a simple truth as well, the fact that everything in nature can be broken down and understood by simple parts. Descartes’ and Bacon’s similarities can be seen in their respective published works, Discourse on Method and the New Organon, both published in the 1600’s. From their skepticism towards previous philosophy to how they changed science, there are many similarities between Descartes and Bacon.

Rene Descartes decision to shatter the molds of traditional thinking is still talked about today. He is regarded as an influential abstract thinker; and some of his main ideas are still talked about by philosophers all over the world. While he wrote the "Meditations", he secluded himself from the outside world for a length of time, basically tore up his conventional thinking; and tried to come to some conclusion as to what was actually true and existing. In order to show that the sciences rest on firm foundations and that these foundations lay in the mind and not the senses, Descartes must begin by bringing into doubt all the beliefs that come to him by the senses. This is done in the first of six

Sir francis was a kid that loved to read right. in college he took law classes at grays inn. but his studies where interrupted for about 2 ½ years. his father was a lord keeper in england. he died in june 1592 people don't know how he died. his mother stayed at home and took care of all his kids.

Rene Descartes, a rationalist, said that each person contains the criteria for truth and knowledge in them. Finding truth and knowledge comes from the individual themselves, not necessarily from God. Descartes also believed that reason is the same for every single person. Descartes believed that nothing could be true unless we as humans could perceive it. He also believed that you could break down things into smaller simpler parts. Descartes also believed that there was a relationship between the mind and body. He also believed that the idea of being perfect originated from God since God himself was perfect. He also integrates his mathematical concepts into his methodology. Descartes also applied doubt to his ideas before he

Reason is a fundamental, substantial element of explanation and enlightenment; it is best regarded as the capacity of human's beings to understand the many occurrences that life brings. Nonetheless, it is a key section in the scientific method. Researchers and experts have used this objective reasoning to verify any hypothesis. In the 20th century, the objective rationality according to the biographers became spoiled into a more subjective form formerly known as the instrumental reason or rationality. The Insight, which was thought to encourage and create an advanced civilized world dialectically, contained it's opposite the destruction of civilization.

Another famous work by Bacon is, The New Atlantis, published in 1627, the book depicts a scientific utopia where knowledge and command of nature is emphasized. A major key element in this book, in all of his works, is the usefulness of knowledge. Bacon believed that, “knowledge is power.” While Bacon did lots of good for the philosophical community, he failed to see the role of mathematics, this was his biggest weakness. Not only that, but Bacon, “…never had much influence on the development on actual science.” (Palmer, R.R., et al. A History of the Modern World: Tenth Edition. New York State, 2007).

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw significant increase of interest in classical education and values, with heavy focus on the development of arts and sciences. This time period saw so much development and growth in these areas that it is regarded as the ending of the renaissance and has been given the credit of having officially bridged to a new age of “modern history”. Included among the philosophers, educators and theologians responsible for this period immense development lies Sir Francis Bacon. Bacon, most popularly regarded as major contributor to the development of natural philosophy during the English Renaissance due to his desire to divulge into and eventually challenge Aristotelian methodology, resulting in our modern day understanding of the scientific method. He believed that “truth” should be acquired through evidence found in the “real world”. Bacon continued to investigate and challenge this Aristotelian methodology, eventually publishing his studies in a book titled “New Organon” in 1620. He included his beliefs of the effects that observation has on the mind, calling this doctrine “The Four Idols of the Mind.” These idols, which Bacon regarded as obstacles preventing the human race from truly understanding nature and reality, create a mental “block” of biases such as racism, gender, or sexuality.

With the emergence of the scientific revolution in the 17th century, views of society and nature were transformed throughout Europe. There were great developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry. The world and its views were changing, and with that change, came a new change in thought, a new change in philosophy. Apart from ancient Greek philosophy, which was centered on finding order in a vast variety of things by searching for a fundamental amalgamating principle, Descartes sought to establish order via some fundamental division. Descartes understands and expresses that what we know about our mind is more definite than what we know about the world outside our mind. Descartes’

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed a colossal transition in the scientific view of the universe. During this period a profound rethinking of scientific theory as well as moral and religious matters took place. Traditional ideas were reconsidered by religious thinkers. Philosophers began applying rational scientific thought to problems that they considered. The main concept of the Scientific Revolution was to "question everything". The Scientific Revolution was an elaborate movement. Many brilliant people with a wealth of new ideas contributed to this movement. The French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist Rene Descartes was one of these people.

Francis Bacon demonstrated true brilliance in a time where people were finally starting to be curious about the world. His life, the late 1500s and early 1600s, was a time where previous scientific discoveries were being reformed and new discoveries were being introduced. Francis Bacon, a visionary for his time, was submersed in many events and influenced by many people, which in return allowed Bacon to produce some of his greatest theories and notions in many scientific fields.