Léo Varnet a publié une critique de Novum organum par Francis Bacon
Bacon’s user manual for science
Contrary to my expectations, much of Novum Organum turned out to be surprisingly accessible and enjoyable to read, despite the occasionally "archaic" scientific language and examples. Bacon opens with a sharp critique of the scientific practices of his time: an overreliance on Aristotelian authority, a neglect of empirical observation and experimentation, and -- above all -- a profound absence of a structured method. What’s striking is how modern many of his insights feel. He anticipates concepts we now frame as HARKing, cognitive biases, and even the file drawer problem. It's genuinely impressive to see that Bacon identified these issues as early as 1620. The second part of the book outlines Bacon’s proposed remedy: a new scientific method. Here, the text is admittedly less compelling. His solution consists largely of systematically collecting observations and drawing inferences from them in a methodic way. While this approach may seem underwhelming today, it's interesting …
Contrary to my expectations, much of Novum Organum turned out to be surprisingly accessible and enjoyable to read, despite the occasionally "archaic" scientific language and examples. Bacon opens with a sharp critique of the scientific practices of his time: an overreliance on Aristotelian authority, a neglect of empirical observation and experimentation, and -- above all -- a profound absence of a structured method. What’s striking is how modern many of his insights feel. He anticipates concepts we now frame as HARKing, cognitive biases, and even the file drawer problem. It's genuinely impressive to see that Bacon identified these issues as early as 1620. The second part of the book outlines Bacon’s proposed remedy: a new scientific method. Here, the text is admittedly less compelling. His solution consists largely of systematically collecting observations and drawing inferences from them in a methodic way. While this approach may seem underwhelming today, it's interesting to see Bacon's rigor and methodical reasoning.