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Full Idea
To say 'leaves are for protecting of fruit', or that 'clouds are for watering the earth', is well inquired and collected in metaphysic, but in physic they are impertinent. They are hindrances, and the search of the physical causes hath been neglected.
Gist of Idea
Teleological accounts are fine in metaphysics, but they stop us from searching for the causes
Source
Francis Bacon (The Advancement of Learning [1605], II.VII.7)
Book Ref
Bacon,Francis: 'Advancement of Learning/New Atlantis' [OUP 1966], p.113
A Reaction
This is the standard rebellion against Aristotle which gave rise to the birth of modern science. The story has been complicated by natural selection, which bestows a sort of purpose on living things. Nowadays we pursue both paths.
| 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] |