THE INTERPRETATION OF THE MIND AND THE ANTICIPATION OF NATURE IN BACON’S “NOVUM ORGANUM

Authors

  • Иван Андреевич Соболев St. Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu17.2016.205

Abstract

Th e F. Bacon’s work “Novum Organum” contains a certain amount of terminological inaccuracies and some of them should be considered closely. Some terms mentioned in this work are defi ned insuffi ciently or not defi ned at all, therefore they have several meanings which cannot be reduced to each other. It’s necessary to fi nd diff erent meanings of such concepts as “nature”, “mind”, “understanding”, “reasoning” and to reveal their positive and precise content. Th e meanings of these concepts will be discovered in the text of Th e Novum Organum by method explained in this work. By consistent realization of F. Bacon’s method and by drawing up tables of presence, absence and degrees, we will proceed to gathering the results and we will discover three natures. First one is the nature which develops and off ers the method. Second nature is considered wrong and therefore should be eliminated. Th ird nature should imply the method; its task is to eliminate the second one or to keep the second nature out of the active actions. Th ere is no doubt that all these three natures are closely connected, but they are not identical. Th eir connection is carried out within the wrong nature, which is analyzed in the most well-known passages from Th e Novum Organum about four types of idles. Eventually, it will be clear that F. Bacon, who understood perfectly his main task of describing and demonstrating a new method, has unconsciously come to the origins of absolutely new issue. Th is issue is the subject of thinking which subsequently will be the main concern of Modern philosophers. Also, the article shows the insuffi ciency of induction method for considering the nature of this new object of philosophy. Refs 4.

Keywords:

method, nature, understanding, mind

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References

Литература

Бэкон Ф. Новый Органон // Бэкон Ф. Соч.: в 2 т. М.: Мысль 1978. Т. 2. С. 2–214.

Субботин А. Л. По следам «Нового Органона» // Вопросы философии. 1970. № 9. С. 97–108.

Субботин А. Л. Фрэнсис Бэкон и античность // Вопросы философии. 1972. № 2. С. 86–94. архив

Bacon’s Novum organum / ed. with introduction notes etc. by Th omas Fowler. Oxford: Clarendon press 1889. 629 p.

References

Bekon F. Novyi Organon [Novum Organum]. Bekon F. Soch.: v 2 t. T. 2 [Bacon in 2 Volumes. Vol. 2]. Moscow Mysl Publ.1978 pp. 2–214. (In Russian)

Subbotin A. L. Po sledam «Novogo Organona» [In the wake of Th e New Organon]. Voprosy fi losofi i [Questions of philosophy]1970 no. 9 pp. 97–108. (In Russian)

Subbotin A. L. Frensis Bekon i antichnost’ [Francis Bacon and antiquity]. Voprosy fi losofi i [Questions of philosophy]1972 no. 2 pp. 86–94. (In Russian) архив

Bacon’s Novum organum. Ed. with introduction notes etc. by Th omas Fowler. Oxford Clarendon Press 1889. 629 p.

Published

2018-10-03

How to Cite

Соболев, И. А. (2018). THE INTERPRETATION OF THE MIND AND THE ANTICIPATION OF NATURE IN BACON’S “NOVUM ORGANUM. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies, 32(2), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu17.2016.205