Psychology Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Empiricism: a branch within epistemology which assumes that sensory perception is fundamental for setting up claims and theories. The opposite position, rationalism, assumes that even purely logical knowledge and conclusions from this knowledge may be sufficient for the building of theories. See also logical positivism, instrumentalism, rationalism, epistemology, theories, foundation, experiments, > inferentialism, knowledge, experience, science._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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John Locke on Empiricism - Dictionary of Arguments
Höffe I 244 Empiricism/Locke/Höffe: [Locke's empiricism has, initially] two dimensions. 1) According to the "empiricism of principles and ideas" even these come from experience (Book 1-111) (1). 2) According to the "Empiricism of Statements", all statements about facts are to be checked against experience (Book IV). 3) "Empiricism of language": according to him, words that neither directly nor indirectly refer to experience, nor - like "and", "also", "or" - serve these words, are considered meaningless. According to the first dimension, experience is not preceded by elements free of experience, neither finished ideas (basic elements of knowledge) nor finished theoretical or practical principles. Even an imperative as basic in moral and legal terms as the fundamental imperative, the prohibition of harm ("no one harms the other!"), is not considered innate. >Innate/Locke. 1. Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690). - - - Euchner I 169 Locke / Euchner: today: his empiricism overcame the old worldview of divinely revealed knowledge - thesis: "there is nothing in the mind, which was not previously in the senses". LeibnizVsLocke: "apart from the mind itself". KreimendahlVsLocke: by limiting knowledge to the ideas he questioned his own empirical program. - - - Arndt II 177 Locke/Arndt:Locke is the ancestor of empiricism - knowledge should be treated language dependent._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Loc III J. Locke An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Höffe I Otfried Höffe Geschichte des politischen Denkens München 2016 Loc I W. Euchner Locke zur Einführung Hamburg 1996 Loc II H.W. Arndt "Locke" In Grundprobleme der großen Philosophen - Neuzeit I, J. Speck (Hg), Göttingen 1997 |
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> Counter arguments against Locke
> Counter arguments in relation to Empiricism
