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RichardKennaway comments on Greatest Philosopher in History - Less Wrong
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Francis Bacon?
This is an interesting suggestion for me. I used to read a lot of Austrian economics, and I remember someone who I respected highly in that field once said that Francis Bacon was one of the greatest philosophers (along with Hume, which added more epistemic credibility in my mind, as Hume has long been my favorite, and the reasons he gave for Hume being so great were in line with the sorts of things I think about him). I never attempted to read any of Francis Bacon's work, but the name did stick for this reason.
Do you have any particular (preferably short) sections you recommend by him that would be likely to catch the attention of the sort of person who posts here on LW (me or other people reading this)?
The New Organon, particularly Aphorisms 31-46, show not only an early attempt to diagnose human biases (what Bacon referred to as "The Idols of the Mind") but also some of the reasons why he rejected Aristotelian thought, common at the time, in favor of experimental practice.
No, I only know him by reputation, and found Eliezer's concise characterisation of him striking.
Ah I see. I didn't read Eliezer's post until now. Thanks.
I will second this, Bacon is the LW patron saint. He was all about "idols". (I wouldn't call him the greatest philosopher, but then that's the silly game of "ordering things from best to worst").