Sir Francis Bacons 4 idols: the sources of misunderstanding and error

Idols of the Tribe: The tribe is the human race. These are errors in understanding
based on human nature. These are errors that every person is susceptible (likely to be
affected) to.

- People do not like to think deeply

- People tend to generalize, exaggerate, and distort
- We see what we WANT to see
- Our senses sometimes fool us and cannot be totally trusted
- Human beings have the tendency to rush to conclusions

Idols of the Cave: The "cave" is the individual mind. Our thoughts are modified by
our individual temperament (personality), education, habit, and environment. These
are errors in understanding based on our own personal experiences and thinking.

- Our tendency to see our opinions as universally binding

- We tend to emulate (imitate) those people we admire and believe those things we
love
- We let our experiences, even bad ones, dictate how we look at the world and others
- Our tastes and prejudices are the lenses we use to view reality

Idols of the Marketplace: The marketplace is our social interaction with others.
chiefly through words and language. These errors in understanding are due to
miscommunication and the shortcomings of language.

- Language is often ambiguous (unclear)

- Many times people use the same words but mean different things by them
- Misinterpreted body language
- Language is often used to obscure (conceal, hide) the very thoughts it is designed to
express
- The explosion of emojis today are used to counter possible error in understanding

Idols of the Theater: Errors due to bad learning defended by supposedly learned
groups which are often accepted without question by the masses.

- Religion and influential religious leaders insisting they have special access to truth
- Political systems or political parties which demand loyal adherence (devotion,
support)
- Education by teachers with unassailable (unable to be questioned) authority and
position
- Science which is supposed to be simply accepted because the scientists say so
- Things considered popular, ancient, and deep which are more likely to be embraced