The mastery of nature and its subordination to man, according to Francis Bacon (English philosopher), could be successful only if there was a radical change in scientific research methods . The philosopher believed that in antiquity and in the Middle Ages, science used only the deductive method. With the help of deduction, the movement of thought is carried out from axioms (obvious provisions) to conclusions of a private nature. Bacon considered this method insufficiently effective and unsuitable for studying nature.
Any invention and all knowledge, according to the philosopher, should be based on experience. In other words, the movement should be from individual, particular conclusions to the study of general principles. This method of study was called the "inductive method of cognition." Induction ("guidance") was first described by Aristotle, but the ancient philosopher did not attach this universal significance to this concept.
The inductive method (the simplest case) is seen in a situation of complete induction. At the same time, all objects of one class are enumerated and a property inherent in all of them is revealed. However, it should be noted that in the scientific approach, complete induction does not play such a significant role. More often used "incomplete guidance." In this case, the inductive method is based on monitoring a finite number of facts, as a result of which (relative to the class of the phenomena being studied) a generalized conclusion is made. A classic example is the conclusion that all swans are white. This conclusion is correct. But until that moment, until a black swan is caught.
Thus, the incomplete induction of the study is based on the conclusion by analogy, which, in turn, always has a probable character. Bacon was trying to create a "true guidance." The English philosopher tried to give greater rigor to incomplete induction, believing that one should search not only for confirming, but also refuting a certain conclusion, facts.
Thus, according to Bacon, in natural science it is necessary to apply two means: enumeration and exclusion, giving the latter the main meaning. When studying the phenomenon, it is necessary to collect all cases in which it was observed and in which it was absent. When revealing any sign that always accompanies the phenomenon and is always absent in the absence of a phenomenon, we can indicate the nature of the phenomenon, its "form". So, Bacon’s inductive method allowed to determine the "form" of heat, which is the movement in the body of the smallest particles.
It should be noted the great importance of the work of the English philosopher. The inductive method, among others, played an important role in the discovery of a number of laws of nature (thermal expansion of the body, atmospheric pressure, universal gravitation, and others).
At the same time, according to some authors, the English philosopher somewhat underestimated the role of the rational principle in research, did not take mathematics into account in the study.
In scientific study, the inductive method can be implemented in several ways.
So, research can go towards identifying a single similarity or difference. In the first case, the cause of the phenomenon will be one detectable common factor for all other different ones. The method of one difference allows us to draw a conclusion on the basis of circumstances in which all factors of the appearance and absence of a phenomenon are almost all similar, the difference consists only in one of them, which is present in the first case (when a phenomenon occurs).
There is also a combined (connected) research method (combining the two options described above).
Scientific induction can also be realized by the method of residues and associated changes.