40 NOVUM ORGANUM. 



faculties, or restless agitation, or from the interference of 

 the passions, or the incompetency of the senses, or the mode 

 of their impressions. 



53. The idols* of the den derive their origin from the 

 peculiar nature of each individual s mind and body ; and 

 also from education, habit, and accident. And although 

 they be various and manifold, yet we will treat of some 

 that require the greatest caution, and exert the greatest 

 power in polluting the understanding. 



54. Some men become attached to particular sciences 

 and contemplations, either from supposing themselves the 

 authors and inventors of them, or from having bestowed 

 the greatest pains upon such subjects, and thus become 

 most habituated to them. If men of this description apply 

 themselves to philosophy and contemplations of an universal 

 nature, they wrest and corrupt them by their preconceived 

 fancies ; of which Aristotle affords us a signal instance, 

 who made his natural philosophy completely subservient 

 to his logic, and thus rendered it little more than useless 

 and disputatious. The chemists, again, have formed a 

 fanciful philosophy with the most confined views, from a 

 few experiments of the furnace. Gilbert, too, having em 

 ployed himself most assiduously in the consideration of the 

 magnet, immediately established a system of philosophy to 

 coincide with his favourite pursuit. 



55. The greatest and, perhaps, radical distinction be 

 tween different men s dispositions for philosophy and the 

 sciences is this ; that some are more vigorous and active in 

 observing the differences of things, others in observing their 

 resemblances. For a steady and acute disposition can fix 

 its thoughts and dwell upon and adhere to a point, through 

 all the refinements of differences, but those that are sub 

 lime and discursive recognise and compare even the most 

 delicate and general resemblances. Each of them readily 

 falls into excess, by catching either at nice distinctions or 

 shadows of resemblance. 



56. Some dispositions evince an unbounded admiration 

 of antiquity, others eagerly embrace novelty ; and but few 

 can preserve the just medium, so as neither to tear up 

 what the ancients have correctly laid down, nor to despise 

 the just innovations of the moderns. But this is very pre 

 judicial to the sciences and philosophy, and instead of a 

 correct judgment, we have but the factions of the ancients 



* Hence to Aphorism 59 treats of the idols of the den. 



