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Andrea Marin
Professor Ogbara
English 101
Sep. 29, 2015
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze things for ones self and form our own
interpretation without the direct influence from anyone or anything. Critical thinking also
requires having the perfect balance between open mindedness and being skepticism. In the
society that surrounds us today we encounter many people that do not use their ability to
critically think. With all the technology at the palms of our hands, our critical thinking skills have
diminished. Society can be said to have erode our critical thinking skills. In The Four
Idols (879-893), a chapter from his larger work, Novum Organum, Francis Bacon states that
there are common ideals that prevent clear thinking. Francis Bacon divides these common ideals
into four different categories: Idols of the Tribe, Idols of the Cave, Idols of the Marketplace, and
Idols of the Theater. The word idol comes from the Greek meaning phantom or image and can
also be a representation of things.
Francis Bacon believes that we first must know what these ideals are in order to escape
them and find our way into the truth. Bacon is writing to scientists, philosophers, law men,
historians, peers and fellow colleagues in the seventeenth century right around the time that
Shakespeare was alive. These extremely educated people must have had a good grasp of what
Bacon is trying to come across in The Four Idols we read about how the Idols of the Tribe is
when people rush to conclusions, have wishful thinking, and when their senses deceive them.

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In the Idols of the Cave people stick to their believes and knowledge and do not think outside
the box, as if they were stuck in a cave. On the other hand, the Idols of the Marketplace is when
language is misunderstood and misused which can lead to confusion. Lastly, the Idols of the
Theater is proving what you believe in to be true with information, but also passing knowledge
from generation to the next.
A prime component in The Four Idols Francis Bacon demonstrates ethos by
demonstrating the amount of education he had achieved in his time period, which must had been
difficult. Bacon was a British essayist and his writings require readers to use critical thinking to
raise awareness of human flaws. In Bacons explanation of the Idol of the Theater he states,
[] many princess and axioms in science, which by tradition, credulity, and negligence have
come to be received. This demonstrates ethos because it shows us how knowledge is being
passed from one generation to the next. These are things that are indeed to be true in his time
period and even now in ours. I believe Bacon does not demonstrate bias in his passage, but
instead is just expressing the way he believes peoples mindset are like. His tone os of an
educated man who wants to help others educate themselves, so they do not fall victims to the
Idols as he explains.
Equally as important Francis Bacon shows us how close minded people that fall under the
Idol of the Cave are. He writes, For everyman has a cave or den of his own, which refracts and
discolors the light of nature [] found in his explanation of the Idols of the Cave. This
statement demonstrates pathos when expressing the colorless light by having us feel how a world
without color would be depressing, and never being able to feel the joyful colors of nature. I
think Bacons emotional appeal is not bias, but in fact a truth statement to help us see how a

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world without open mindedness would be boring and plain as if stuck in a cave. This specific
statement does indeed help Bacons statement of using emotion to appeal to the read. Throughout
Bacons passage his tone seems to be profession, but once in a while his tone become persuasive
in trying to help us see how we must not fall into the victims of his Idols.
Finally, in the Idols of the Theater Bacon uses logos to establish what this idol is about.
When Bacon shows logos he makes the reader use critical thinking. For example, [] seeing
the errors the mostly widely different have nevertheless causes for the most part alike, shows us
the his idols are mostly based on reason and logic. So when reading his passage he uses clear and
organized passages that may be hard to read, but only because of the time and grammar different.
When Bacon makes a claim he supports it with plenty of examples and hypothetical scenarios.
An obvious example would be the Idol of the Cave no one has a cave or den it is only an
example to help us understand what he is trying to clarify better. His message was strengthened
by that example, and proves the reader understand what he is trying to come across with.
To conclude, Francis Bacon makes the reader use critical thinking when reading The
Four Idols. Bacon states that there are common idols that prevent clear thinking, and they are
divided into four different categories: Idols of the Tribe, Idols of the Cave, Idols of the
Marketplace, and Idols of the Theater. He not only explains his idols with clarity, but also
incorporates ethos, logos, and paths to help the reader get a better understanding go his writings.
Even though his intended audience where his peers and fellow colleagues I am sure he would be
thrilled to know that college students are becoming aware of the dangers that his Idols present.