Bacon's perceptual bias analysis

Francis Bacon discussed four categories of distortion in human communication: Idols of the Tribe, Idols of the Cave, Idols of the Market Place and Idols of the Theatre. I grew up in Poland under communism and saw many examples of these idols in public communication.

“Idols of the Tribe” are errors based on human tendencies generally. One of these tendencies is to believe that there is something greater than oneself. For example, a child tends to believe that her parents never make mistakes. In Poland, the government tried to convey a sense that the communist system was greater than the individual and that the government was always right. Triumphs were celebrated (and in some cases manufactured) and mistakes were never admitted.

“Idols of the Cave” are errors based on an individuals own tendencies and experiences. In Poland, an individual’s views of communism often depended upon whether they were raised by parents who were official communist party members, whether they went to certain schools and whether their families attended church.

“Idols of the Market Place” are errors from imprecise language. The use of distorted language like “comradeship” and “equality”were used to mask a system that was quite the opposite.

“Idols of the Theatre” are tendencies based on systems and ideas that have been accepted uncritically. Communism was propped up by “Idols of the Theatre”. Communism was taught in the school system without question or criticism. Military parades and other propaganda events were used to show the strength of the state. When protests and economic shortages unmasked the truth, the illusion quickly disappeared and the system collapsed.