Philosophers are usually seen studying the nature of human existence, how languages were created, and the ethics and morals we all follow. Plato and Bacon were both philosophers that created their philosophies to help describe and teach others of how mankind reacts to new opportunities. Both men use knowledge as a gateway for people to understand the reality rather than using human thinking as reasoning. Plato wrote the essay named, “Allegory of the Cave,’ while Bacon wrote about “Four Idols.’ Plato presses that his allegory is that man is unwittingly wanting to accept new philosophies. Whereas, Bacon disapproves false philosophies and teaches man how to reach the sense of reality and human understanding.
Bacon focuses on Four Idols which guide our mind. Bacon’s idols are Idols of Tribe, Idols of Cave, Idols of Marketplace, and Idols of Theater. At the beginning of the essay, Bacon writes that “…the doctrine of idols is to the interpretation of nature what the doctrine of refutation of sophisms is to common logic” (Bacon 594). In simpler terms, Bacon wants to advise us that these idols want to fall prey on our minds. If we learn to lose focus on them, then we will get a better understanding of how to gain knowledge about the world around us. Bacon’s first idol, Idols of the Tribe, can be interpreted as men creating imaginations of how certain logic works rather than basing their thinking on factual scientific evidence. One example is when Bacon explains how man perceives false demonstration, “the lame man who keeps the right road outstrips the runner who takes a wrong one” (Bacon 601). Bacon prefers the discovery of sciences because then there is only factual evidence rather than opinions based on the visual interpretation of a man.
Idols of the Cave is the understanding that man focuses on one thing and rather live in their subconscious caves. Idols of the Marketplace is the philosophy that humans make mistakes in language by substituting their thoughts with incorrect words causing confusion over the real meaning. Lastly, the Idols of the Theater is Bacon’s way of saying that he is against false philosophy and that theaters interpret reality as unreal or fictional. These idols are Bacon’s solutions to fully understanding human life and perfecting scientific observations and facts. If we let these idols target us, then we won’t travel towards the direction of truth.
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Plato’s allegory helps show the importance of education and the path of overcoming ignorance of the individual. Plato was a student of Socrates, a Greek philosopher, that was credited for creating the beggining of western philosophy. Plato’s essay begins with Socrates having a dialogue with a student. The student can agree with the philosophies Socrates gives but cannot give his own. Socrates describes a dark scene where a fire is casting shadows. There are puppeteers in front of a wall casting shadows of objects. In front of the wall, some prisoners can only see the shadows of the puppeteers. They are free, however, decide to stay in the chairs to watch the shadows. Plato then decides to change the story by stating, “…when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains…” (Plato 583).
He is presenting the idea of one person leaving their cave and trying to go towards the light to learn about what is causing these shadows. When the human sees the truth, he has a new set of beliefs. Plato wants to show us that the metaphor to the story is that we are the prisoners. When we leave our caves, we will get the true knowledge of the world just like in Bacon’s idols. However, it comes with a risk because everyone doesn’t want to leave the care and therefore go against your beliefs. One such example of this is when Plato states what happened to Socrates indirectly, “…if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death” (Plato 585).
Even if Socrates was correct with his beliefs no one would agree with him because people do not want to agree with an outcast. Plato is trying to state that philosophers should run the government because then such beliefs will be factual. Bacon’s beliefs interfere with Plato’s idea as he doesn’t support false philosophies. An example of this is when Bacon states, “…representing worlds of their own creation after an unreal and scenic fashion” (Bacon 595). He is against Plato’s ideas because if all philosophers were given government action then they could act wrongly or incorrectly and in turn go against his idols. This is why Bacon believes education and the vision of reality help make a philosopher true.
Plato and Bacon are both philosophers that are correct with their beliefs. Plato and Bacon make important points, trying to reason for why humankind focuses on one thing rather than exploring and metaphorically coming out of their caves. Many people are misinterpreted about what is the reality and often leave themselves believing the shadows. While Plato wants to show that philosophers should be the political leaders of society, Bacon uses his understanding that scientific knowledge will allow the start to a society where there are factual evidence. With the experience of education and a mindset of leaving the cave, there will be no puppeteers to cause the minds of man to think so astray.
Works Cited
- Plato. “The Allegory of the Cave.” WORLD OF IDEAS: Essential Readings for College Writers. ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2017.
- Bacon, Francis. “Four Idols.” WORLD OF IDEAS: Essential Readings for College Writers. ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2017.
