Philosophy East and West

7/21/2019 Philosophy East and West

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Nguyen Tu Anh

Philosophy East and WestWeek 8: Empiricism



Outline

1. Empiricism2. Three epistemological uestions!. Three philosophers

". #ohn $ocke%s philosophy&. 'eorge (erkeley%s philosophy). *a+id ,ume%s philosophy



E-P / 0 -

Empiricism is the claimthat kno3ledge comes only 4rom sensorye5perience6rom the ancient 'reek3ord 7 empeiria” e5perience9



T,/EE EP TE-O$O' 0A$ ;E T ON

19 s kno3ledge possi<le= > the possi<ility o4kno3ledge

29*oes reason pro+ide us 3ith kno3ledge o4the 3orld independently o4 e5perience= >the role o4 reason

!9*oes our kno3ledge represent reality as itreally is= > the representation o4 reality



#ohn $ocke 1)!2?1@ "9

• (ritish philosopher• Acti+e in political aBair• Two Treatises of Government

1)8C9 , An Essay ConcerningHuman Understanding 1)C 9



'eorge (erkeley 1)8&>1@&!9

rish philosopher

A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human nowledge1@1 9DThree "ialogues #etween Hylas and Philonous

1@1!9



*a+id ,ume 1@11 ?1@@)9

cottish philosopher A Treatise of Human $ature% 1@!89D An En&uiry

Concerning HumanUnderstanding % 1@"89



The possi<ility o4 kno3ledge

• (uilding <lock o4 kno3ledge idea 'the immediate o#(ect of

perception, thought or

understanding”

/eFection

ensation

impledeas

0omple5deas

0ompounding

/elating

A<stracting



The role o4 reason

/eason alone can%t pro+ide us 3ithkno3ledge o4 the 3orldAt <irth the mind is a ta<ula rasa

<lank slate9



*iscussion

nnate ideas or not:$a3 o4 identity: GWhatsoe+er isD is7$a3 o4 non>contradiction: GG t is

impossi<le 4or the same thing to <eDand not to <e7$ocke%s argument:

Gall children and idiots ha+e not the

least apprehension or thought o4themHto imprint anything on themind 3ithout the mind%s percei+ingitD seems to me hardly intelligi<le7

The role o4 reason



The role o4 reason

/eason alone can%t pro+ide us 3ithkno3ledge o4 the 3orldAt <irth the mind is a ta<ula rasa

<lank slate96rom 3ithin our e5perience 3e canreason a<out things that 3e don%te5perience e.g per4ectionD inInityD

'odH9



The /epresentation o4 /eality

Primaryualities

(ulkhap

eiJe

-otionNum<er

Te5ture

O<Kecti+e/eality

econdaryualities

u<Kecti+e/eality

0oloroun

d Taste

mell Te5ture



The possi<ility o4 kno3ledgeL The role o4 reason

Mno3ledge e5perience ideas imagesD 4eelingsD or sense data

that are directly present to the

mindin +i+id sensory psychologicale5periences9in the less +i+id presentations

memory or imagination9Only through e5perience and notreason can 3e ha+e any kno3ledgeo4 reality




All the ualities o4 o<Kects areualities 3ithin e5perienceD e ually

su<Kecti+e.

There is no e5ternalD materialreality <eyond our ideas/eality minds ideas percei+ed<y minds

GEsse est percipi7 GTo <e is to <epercei+ed79




G 4 a tree 4alls in a 4orest and noone is around to hear itD does itmake a sound=7




All the ualities o4 o<Kects are ualities 3ithine5perienceD e ually su<Kecti+e.

There is no e5ternalD material reality <eyondour ideas

/eality minds ideas percei+ed <y mindsGEsse est percipi7 GTo <e is to <e percei+ed79Only a mind can produce ideas> human minds 'od%s mind> atheismNo e5ternalD material reality <eyond our ideasDthen 3e are al3ays in direct contact 3ithreality> skepticism



Possi<ility o4 Mno3ledge

tays strictly 3ithin the <ounds o4e5perience⇒ can neither kno3 mind nor 'odAll that 3e can kno3 are the su<Kecti+econtents o4 our indi+idual minds⇒ impossi<le to distinguish <et3een the3ay things appear to us and the 3ay thingsreally are⇒ cannot ha+e kno3ledge concerning anymind>independent reality



The /ole o4 /eason

/eason can only tell us a<out therelationship o4 our ideas2 kinds o4 reason:

/elations o4 ideas: logically necessaryD<ut tell us nothing a<out the 3orld-atters o4 4act: tell us a<out the 3orldD<ut are not certain




Only certain a<out the relationship o4our o3n ideas 3hich don%t tell us a<outthe e5ternal 3orld⇒ impossi<le to kno3 3hat reality isreally like



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Philosophy East and West