Purchase Solution

What is Empiricism?

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Empiricism is a major school of philosophical thought, but if asked to define it, would you be able to explain it concretely and concisely? This post will attempt to give you the most important information, without being overly complicated, so that you will be able to explain Empiricism successfully.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

Empiricism is a school of thought in Philosophy as part of the wider branch of epistemology.

Solution Preview

Empiricism is a school of thought in Philosophy as part of the wider branch of epistemology.

Epistemology concerns itself with how people can know things. Empiricism claims that people know things through experience.

What does it mean to "experience" something? Namely, all that's required is that something happen to you or around you of which you are aware. For example, you may know that a butterfly flies because you see it gliding across a lawn. Or you may know that your neighbor's car is red because you have seen it parked outside your driveway. The bottom line is that for Empiricists, ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
The World Health Organization

This quiz assesses the students knowledge about the World Health Organization. Although listed under “Philosophy” it is relevant to health care, political science, pre-med, and social scientist students as well.

Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy

Short quiz relating to Descartes

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • The limits of empiricism and rationalism

    Kant's argument is that knowledge is limited to the appearances that the senses present to us, and therefore no extension of knowledge to the suprasensible, or what he calls the noumena, is possible.

  • Rationalism and Empricism

    For example " It is snowing outside" Here you can find a complete explanation of Rationalism vs Empiricism: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rationalism-empiricism/ And for more information on the individual philosophers (Descartes, Spinoza

  • The difference between rationalism and empiricism.

    Please do keep in mind that for Berkeley perception is a bundle of sensations coordinated by the mind or simply ideas in the mind. Hope I'm not confusing you. What is the difference between rationalism and empiricism?

  • Weisel's 1981 Nobel Lecture: Empiricism vs. Rationalism

    Do the findings support empiricism or rationalism? Why? Empiricism vs. Rationalism Empiricism believes that sense experience is the main source of our knowledge.

  • How Kant reconciles rationalism and empiricism.

    328557 Is it possible to reconcile rationalism and empiricism? If so, how? If not, why? Is it possible to reconcile rationalism and empiricism? If so, how? If not, why? Hello, The solution is also attached as an MS Word document.

  • Scientific Method for the Mind (Empiricism vs. Rationalism)

    628392 Scientific Method for the Mind (Empiricism vs. Rationalism) What are some of the major differences between Empiricism and Rationalism?

  • Scientific Methods: Philosophical Underpinnings

    The most apt philosophical position that is de-facto in ethnography therefore is a compromise between rationalism and empiricism where rationalism is defined as a position or judgment based on reason.

  • Use of Empirical Research in Psychology

    What does it mean to be empirical in the pursuit of knowledge? How does this relate to empiricism? How is understanding this concept helpful to the I/O psychologist today?

  • Determinism, empiricism and rationalism

    What is James' critique of determinism? Is it successful? Now consider Grimshaw's account of internal and external constraints that complicate the question of autonomy.

View More Related Solutions