Empiricism Vs. Positivist Theory Of Knowledge - 1053 Words

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that evaluates the acquisition, limitations, and origins of human knowledge. One of the theories found in epistemology is the theory of empiricism. Empiricism is the belief that knowledge is gained through experience, that there is no such thing as â€Å"innate knowledge,† or knowledge that one is born with. Empiricism stands in stark contrast to the rationalist theory, the belief that humans possess innate knowledge, and that one can have knowledge, without sensory information or experience, through reason. In this paper I will evaluate the theory of empiricism, comparing it to rationalism and discussing advantages and disadvantages of the empiricists perspective on the acquisition of knowledge, and then I will discuss why I consider empiricism the superior theory of knowledge. One of the main critiques of the empiricist theory is that it is derived strictly from sensory information. Any knowledge that we may possess is strictly from t he experiences we have had in our lifetime. This is a problem that rationalists have with empiricism. Rene Descartes, mathematician and father of modern philosophy, argues that our senses cannot be trusted, and that they are easily deceived (Epistemology, slides 26-28). Not unlike Descartes, it is common for mathematicians to subscribe to the side of rationalism in regard to the acquisition of knowledge. This is not surprising as most of mathematics involve concepts that are known to be universally trueShow MoreRelated300 - Rationalism vs Empiricism - Summary and History2194 Words   |  9 PagesRationalism vs. Empiricism – History and Summary What is reality really like? A current running through much of the philosophical thinking around the time of Socrates and Plato was that there is a difference between how the world appears and how it is. Our senses reveal one layer of reality but it is our minds that penetrate deeper. The world of appearances is a world in flux but underneath there must be a stable reality. For there is much that is unchanging. We recognise kinds of things – badgersRead MoreDeveloping Effective Research Proposals49428 Words   |  198 Pagesthe pre-empirical stage 3.7.2 Questions before methods 3.7.3 Do I need hypotheses in my proposal? 3.8 Review concepts and questions Notes 4 Some Issues 4.1 The perspective behind the research 4.2 The role of theory 4.2.1 Description versus explanation 4.2.2 Theory verification versus theory generation 4.3 Pre-structured versus unfolding 4.4 The relevant literature 4.5 Quantitative, qualitative or both? 4.6 Review concepts and questions Notes 5 Methods 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Quantitative data, qualitativeRead MoreVolvo Marketing Strategy36220 Words   |  145 Pagesbrand‟s products. Thus to comprehend this difference we decided to carry our researches on what defines the brand in the consumer‟s mind: marketing. The method we used to conduct this study was based on the objectivist ontological position and on the positivist epistemological assumption combined to a deductive approach – implying a quantitative study in our case. We used secondary data to create our theoretical framework and then we distributed 100 questionnaires in both countries – 50 each. The observation