新工具

出版时间：2010-1  出版社：外语教学与研究出版社  作者：培根,Francis Bacon  页数：238  

前言

　　On the state of the sciences， that it is neither prosperous nor far advanced; and that a quite different way must be opened up for the human intellect than men have known in the past， and new aids devised， so thatthe mind may exercise its right over nature.　　Men seem to me to have no good sense of either their resources or theirpower; but to exaggerate the former and underrate the latter. Hence， eitherthey put an insane value on the arts which they already have and look nofurther or， undervaluing themselves， they waste their power on trifles andfail to try it out on things which go to the heart of the matter. And so theyare like fatal pillars of Hercules5 to the sciences; for they are not stirred bythe desire or the hope of going further. Belief in abundance is among thegreatest causes of poverty; because of confidence in the present， real aidsfor the future are neglected. It is therefore not merely useful but quiteessential that at the very outset of our work （without hesitation or pretence）we rid ourselves of this excess of veneration and regard， with a useful warn-ing that men should not exaggerate or celebrate their abundance and itsusefulness. For if you look closely at the wide range of books which arethe boast of the arts and sciences， you will frequently find innumerablerepetitions of the same thing， different in manner of treatment but antici-pated in content， so that things which at first glance seem to be numerousare found on examination to be few. One must also speak plainly about use-fulness， and say that the wisdom which we have drawn in particular fromthe Greeks seems to be a kind of childish stage of science， and to havethe childs characteristic of being all too ready to talk， but too weak andimmature to produce anything. For it is fertile in controversies， and feeblein results.

内容概要

《新工具(英文版)》批判了经院哲学的观点，认为人是自然的解释者。还较全面而详细地分析、论述了归纳方法，为归纳逻辑奠定了基础。中世纪的经院哲学歪曲利用了亚里士多德的三段式演绎法，成为论证神学攻击真理、阻碍科学发展的工具，因此受到培根的批判。他指出，演绎法脱离经验，从概念到概念，不能给人们扩大和提供新的知识，只能引起无聊的争论，只能用归纳法来取而代之。《新工具》试图为近代新兴的自然科学制订一套正确的方法，对近代科学产生了深远的影响。

作者简介

作者：(英国)培根(Francis Bacon)
弗朗西斯·培根（1561—1626），英国近代唯物主义哲学家、思想家和科学家，被马克思称为“英国唯物主义和整个现代实验科学的真正始祖”。培根是一位一生都在追求真理的思想家，他主张推崇科学、发展科学的进步思想，曾提出“知识就是力量”的口号。主要著作有：《新工具》、《学术的进步》、《新大西岛》等。代表作《新工具》，在近代哲学史上具有划时代的意义和广泛的影响，哲学家由此把它看成是从古代唯物论向近代唯物论转变的先驱。

书籍目录

The Great Renewal
　Preface
　The plan of the work
The New Organon
　Preface
　Book I
　Book II
　Outline of a Natural and
　Experimental History

章节摘录

　　The empirical brand of philosophy generates more deformed and freakishdogmas than the sophistic or rational kind, because it is not founded onthe light of common notions （which though weak and superficial, is some-how universal and relevant to many things） but on the narrow and un-illuminating basis of a handful of experiments. Such a philosophy seemsprobable and almost certain to those who are engaged every day in experi-ments of this kind and have corrupted their imagination with them; toothers it seems unbelievable and empty. There is a notable example of thisamong the chemists and their dogmas; otherwise it scarcely exists at thistime, except perhaps in the philosophy of Gilbert. However, we should notfail to give a warning about such philosophies. We already conceive andforesee that, if ever men take heed of our advice and seriously devote them-selves to experience （having said goodbye to the sophistic doctrines）,then this philosophy will at last be genuinely dangerous, because of theminds premature and precipitate haste, and its leaping or flying to generalstatements and the principles of things; even now we should be facing thisproblem.

用户评论 (总计4条)

•   杜威说："Francis Bacon ... hardly receives his due as the real founder of modern thought." (转引自 Daniel Kolak， 2000，1997)
•   唉，没注意看，拿到后才发现是英文版的。这让我情何以堪啊！
•   学习经典与英语的好书。
•   很适合英语阅读！