Can someone explain to me in human language what Francis Bacon means by his 4 idols (tribe, cave, marketplace, theater)?
In: Culture
Idol of the Tribe: people believe their deceivable sense too much, and fool themselves into believing they are more capable than they actually are.
Idol of the Cave: it’s different for everyone. Because we’re shaped by culture, environments, people, etc, we often become close-minded and unreceptive to new possibilities.
Idol of the Marketplace: easily influenced by others’ jargon and talk. It hinders our ability to think for ourselves (a mind fog).
Idol of the Theater: due to sophistry and false learning. Most commonly built up in theology, philosophy and science as they’re defended by groups and accepted without question by the masses.
Bacon advises us to stay alert so that none of the four idols overtake our mind.
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