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Full Idea
They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
Gist of Idea
We don't assume there is no land, because we can only see sea
Source
Francis Bacon (The Advancement of Learning [1605], II.VII.5)
Book Ref
Bacon,Francis: 'Advancement of Learning/New Atlantis' [OUP 1966], p.110
A Reaction
Just the sort of pithy remark for which Bacon is famous. It is an obvious point, but a nice corrective to anyone who wants to apply empirical principles in a rather gormless way.
| 12117 | Science moves up and down between inventions of causes, and experiments [Bacon] |
| 12119 | Physics studies transitory matter; metaphysics what is abstracted and necessary [Bacon] |
| 12120 | Physics is of material and efficient causes, metaphysics of formal and final causes [Bacon] |
| 12118 | Essences are part of first philosophy, but as part of nature, not part of logic [Bacon] |
| 12121 | We don't assume there is no land, because we can only see sea [Bacon] |
| 12124 | Metaphysics is the best knowledge, because it is the simplest [Bacon] |
| 12123 | Natural history supports physical knowledge, which supports metaphysical knowledge [Bacon] |
| 12125 | Teleological accounts are fine in metaphysics, but they stop us from searching for the causes [Bacon] |
| 12126 | People love (unfortunately) extreme generality, rather than particular knowledge [Bacon] |
| 12127 | Many different theories will fit the observed facts [Bacon] |