Q3: What are the main differences between rationalism and empiricism as approaches to knowledge? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each‚ using Descartes (Second Meditation) as the example of a rationalist‚ and Hume or Locke as the example of an empiricist. In your view which approach better explains the common-sense knowledge of the world that we take for granted? Common-sense knowledge is information we know and understand unproblematically. It could be that a spider has six legs‚ your
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Rationalism 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 – badgers
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Rationalism vs Empiricism! The Greeks vs the Empiricists round 1…. FIGHT! The rationalist first jab is that there are significant ways in which our concepts and knowledge are gained independently in terms of sense experience. Empiricists claim that sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge (empiricist’s vs rationalists). The two are very distinct interesting schools of thought among others‚ and there is quite a significant difference when it comes to concepts and ideas
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researching Locke’s ideas and how they ultimately derive from experience‚ as well as examining his account of the origin of the idea of God‚ it is evident that Descartes’ alternative source of our idea of God challenges and contradicts Locke’s account. Locke states‚ “Experience is the source of all our ideas” (366b). On the other hand‚ Descartes says the following about God: “ God a certain substance that is infinite‚ independent supremely intelligent and superbly powerful…” (51b). Following these concrete
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DESCARTES AND LOCKE (Knowledge) One of the most important branches in philosophy‚ is Epistemology‚ which means‚ theory of knowledge. So far‚ philosophers have made many attempts to discover the source of knowledge‚ the standards or criteria by which we can judge the reliability of knowledge. We tend to be satisfied with think what we know about almost everything‚ even though sometimes we are shocked to discover that something that we thought it was sure and certain
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Rationalism and Empiricism almost feel like polar opposites. To begin with‚ rationalism believes one has priori knowledge. Priori knowledge is basically "fundamental truths that everyone just knows." For example‚ the idea that "everything has a shape and size." It’s an innate truth that we were already aware of. Rationalists think that we were born knowing everything already‚ but due to some traumatic event at birth‚ we forget everything we know. As we continue development on Earth‚ we begin to remember
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The dispute between rationalism and empiricism concerns the extent to which we are dependent upon sense experience‚ and the doubt of everything in effort to gain knowledge. Philosophers have deepened our knowledge as to how we will approach the education of young children‚ whether it will be the rationalism or empiricism approach. John Locke was an empiricist because he believed our knowledge comes to us from experience‚ specifically the faculties of sensation and reflection. On the other hand‚ the
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Rationalism is the principle that maintains that through reason alone we can gain at least some positive knowledge of the world. The three major rationalists‚ Rene Descartes‚ Baruch Spinoza and Gottfried Welhelm Leibniz‚ used this idea in order to defy skepticism and expose the true nature of reality. However‚ each philosopher is frequently in disagreement. The idea for ‘God’‚ and what constitutes substance‚ matter and reality are the four key structural beliefs that aid each rationalist in the forming
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John Locke (1632 – 1704)‚ a philosopher and a scientist‚ contributed much to the realms of philosophy‚ law‚ and politics. He put into question the idea of innatism and whether people were truly born with some basic knowledge. He strongly believed in the innate goodness of humans and the right to freedom and property of the people. Both Innate ideas and Empiricism will be further analyzed‚ and whether Locke’s ‘children and idiots’ argument against innate ideas is sound. Locke believes that people
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DESCARTES VS. LOCKE: KNOWLEDGE AS VIEWED FROM A FRENCH AND AN ENGLISH PERSPECTIVE Randy Hoang Philosophy 205: Introduction to Philosophy April 17‚ 2016 Descartes vs. Locke: Knowledge as Viewed from a French and an English Perspective Last year‚ I completed Basic Training for the United States Army Reserve. I was compelled to join the Army since my father is a veteran and I had a strong desire to also serve my country. During the training‚ I learned about knowledge and knowledge’s
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