Empiricism Case

Empiricism

Through history, Empiricism can be reflected on as the main source in which we gain knowledge and with that it has become a solid foundation for our basic method of thinking. Another method of "thinking" and a theory towards this would be rationalism, as it is a route for those searching for higher knowledge. Rationalism regularly seems to challenge the process of empiricism but, we quickly see that empiricism has proved itself over time. Empiricism can be defined as the repetition of trusting observation and involvement in the hopes to gain knowledge rather than reasoning. Two of the major philosophers that supported empiricism were John Locke and David Hume. Throughout this essay I would like to discuss their views on this subject as well as my own.

John Locke was one of the earliest British empiricists; he was born in 1632 and passed away in 1704. One of his greatest writings was published in 1690; this work was entitled An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Ultimately, this writing laid the ground work for empiricism and it is still accepted by many today. Locke's perspective was a rather unique one because he unlike many philosophers was a physician by trade. I feel it was this hands-on experience that allowed him to understand that you have to observe first and then act based on what you perceive. I feel this particular quote best encompasses how Locke felt about knowledge. "Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, a white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas; how comes it to be furnished? To this I answer one word, from experience."

The remaining empiricist I would like to discuss is David Hume. In many ways Hume agreed with Locke, however, in a few areas he had a different perspective. Hume argued that there are two categories in which all human knowledge can be divided. He called these two categories: Matter of Facts and Relations of Ideas. Essentially he felt that the so called Matter of Facts from which he felt most human knowledge was derived is contingent. On the other hand Relations of Ideas are those found within the study of mathematics. According to Hume reason has a helpful role in moral discernment, however, these judgments rest on some type of internal sense. Although though he did not see reason as the best way to acquire knowledge he did feel that reason can be used to help clarify experiences within our lives.

Personally, I feel knowledge is best acquired through experience and observation. Throughout my own life I have seen that often a person has to experience something before he or she can truly understand it. I realize this isn't the easiest way to acquire knowledge because we often fail in our attempts to accomplish something when we do not fully understand. However, I do feel that our experiences and observations ultimately prove to teach us the most in the end rather