12 THE GRR/lT INSTAURATION. 



by works. The nature and order of the demonstrationa 

 agree with this object. Tor in common logic, almost our 

 whole labour is spent upon the syllogism. Logicians hitherto 

 appear scarcely to have noticed induction, passing it over 

 with some slight comment. But we reject the syllogistic 

 method as being too confused, and allowing nature to escape 

 out of our hands. For though nobody can doubt that those 

 things which agree with the middle term agree with each 

 other, nevertheless, there is this source of error, that a 

 syllogism consists of propositions, propositions of words, and 

 words are but the token and signs of things. Now, if the 

 first notions, which are, as it were, the soul of words, and 

 the basis of every philosophical fabric, are hastily abstracted 

 from things, and vague and not clearly defined and limited, 

 the whole structure falls to the ground. We therefore 

 reject the syllogism, and that not only as regards first 

 principles, to which logicians do not apply them, but also with 

 respect to intermediate propositions, which the syllogism con- 

 trives to manage in such a way as to render barren in effect, 

 unfit for practice, and clearly unsuited to the active branch 

 of the sciences. Nevertheless, we would leave to the syllo- 

 gism, and such celebrated and applauded demonstrations, 

 their jurisdiction over popular and speculative acts; while, in 

 everything relating to the nature of things, we make use of 

 induction for both our major and minor propositions; for 

 we consider induction as that form of demonstration which 

 closes in upon nature and presses on, and, as it were, mixes 

 itself with action. Whence the common order of demon- 

 strating is absolutely inverted ; for instead of flying imme- 

 diately from the senses, and particulars, to generals, as to 

 certain fixed poles, about which disputes always turn, and 

 deriving others from these by intermediates, in a short, 

 indeed, but precipitate manner, fit for controversy, but unfit 

 to close with nature ; we continually raise up propositions 

 by degrees, and in the last place, come to the most general 

 axioms, which are not notional, but well defined, and what 

 nature allows of, as entering into the very essence of things.® 



* This passage, though tersely and energetically expressed, is founded 

 upon a misconception of deduction, or, as Bacon phrases it, syllogistio 

 reasoning, and its relation to induction. The two processes are only 

 reverse methods of inferences, the one concluding from a general to a 

 particular, and the other from a particular to a general, and bo^b 



