Breaking the Cycle
Bacon asserts that nearly all previous scientific endeavors were hampered by pre-existing philosophy, and none of them were done quite correctly, causing the pursuit of knowledge via experience an incomplete, circular, and self-propagating task, using the imagery of a repetitive and ineffectual cycle. By contrast, he proposes a "Great Renewal" - a new beginning, building a system of knowledge from the ground up, and thereby breaking this scientific cycle to finally reach the end of the chain of reasoning.
Anti-Aristotelian Imagery
Throughout the work, Bacon uses various condescending and demeaning pieces of imagery to put down the contemptible philosophy of Aristotle. One of the most notable images is that of aphorism LXIII, in which Bacon compares Aristotle's abuse of scientific experimentation to a slaver leading a captive in a procession, arguing that Aristotle only used experimentation to support his pre-formed hypotheses, forcing it to bend to his will and bias. Similar imagery pervades the work, all leading to a singular conclusion: Bacon was not a fan of Aristotle.
Imagery of the Idols
To convey his theories on the inherent flaws of human reason, Bacon came up with the image of the Five Idols, a series of logical mini-gods to which human unwittingly submit. He details these Idols throughout the work, but even their titles (the cave, the tribe, etc.) evoke various images to which the reader can affix the theories for ease of remembrance.
Mythological Imagery
As a thinker in a predominantly Christian Western society, Bacon was fully aware of Christian tradition as well as the ancient Greek mythos, both of which he utilizes extensively in his imagery. For example, he cites the creation story from Genesis ("let there be light," etc.) in his justification for the "Great Renewal," likening his endeavors to the creation of light and the revelation of creation. Likewise, he references several Greek myths, such as the story of Atalanta the huntress and the three golden apples, to give his abstract ideas a more concrete parallel significance.
