idol

religion

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Related Topics:: ceremonial object; idolatry

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idol, literally an image (from the Greek eidolon), particularly an image used as an object of worship.

In philosophy, the word can mean a prejudice of some kind that hinders clear thought. It was used in this sense by Giordano Bruno and adopted from him by Sir Francis Bacon, who in a celebrated passage of his Novum Organum distinguished four kinds of idol, namely: (1) “idols of the tribe,” prejudices more or less common to the whole human race; (2) “idols of the cave,” prejudices peculiar to individuals; (3) “idols of the market place,” prejudices encouraged by one’s social group and mother tongue; and (4) “idols of the theatre,” prejudices or false notions taught and encouraged by various schools of thought.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.