Use the excerpt from Bacon's The Advancement of Learning below to answer the following question:

Question

Use the excerpt from Bacon's The Advancement of Learning below to answer the following question:

"Another error hath proceeded from a kind of adoration of the mind and understanding of man; by means whereof men have withdrawn themselves away from the contemplation of nature, and the observations of experience, and have tumbled up and down in their own reason and conceits. Upon these Heraclitus gave a just censure, saying, MEN SOUGHT TRUTH IN THEIR OWN LITTLE WORLDS, AND NOT IN THE GREAT AND COMMON WORLD."
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How does Sir Francis Bacon criticize previous scientific methods in the quote above?

Answer 1

In the excerpt from Bacon's "The Advancement of Learning," he criticizes previous scientific methods for their reliance on "the mind and understanding of man" as the sole means of seeking truth. Bacon argues that this approach has led people to become detached from the study of nature and the observations of experience. Instead, individuals have relied heavily on their own reasoning and personal ideas without grounding them in empirical evidence. Bacon quotes Heraclitus, who criticizes individuals for seeking truth in their limited and subjective understanding, rather than looking to the vast and shared world of nature. In this way, Bacon argues that the previous scientific methods lacked objectivity and a broader perspective, hindering the progress and advancement of learning.