...be able to benefit from its knowledge of nature, the men of science must become like the bee, which gathers its material from the flowers of the garden...by a power of its own. Not unlike this is the true business of philosophy; for it neither relies solely or chiefly on the powers of the mind, nor does...

...experiment or men of dogmas. The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use: the reasoners resemble spiders, who make cobwebs out of their own substance. But the bee takes the middle course; it gathers its material from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms...

...is the perfect illustration of this principle; cfr. the parable by F. Bacon: But the bee takes the middle course: it gathers its material from the flowers of the garden and field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own. Not unlike this is the true business of...

...1.4 The Roots of the New Era The men of experiment are like the ant, they only collect and use; the reasoners resemble spiders, who make cobwebs out of...by a power of its own. Not unlike this is the true business of philosophy. — Sir Francis Bacon, The New Organon The mathematical description of nature...