Rationalism vs. Empiricism Essay - 1573 Words

Rationalism and empiricism were two philosophical schools in the 17th and 18th centuries, that were expressing opposite views on some subjects, including knowledge. While the debate between the rationalist and empiricist schools did not have any relationship to the study of psychology at the time, it has contributed greatly to facilitating the possibility of establishing the discipline of Psychology. This essay will describe the empiricist and rationalist debate, and will relate this debate to the history of psychology. The debate between rationalist and empiricist philosophers looks at the nature of knowledge, and specifically, how we gain this knowledge. Rationalists and empiricists take opposite, and sometimes mutually exclusive,†¦show more content†¦Philosophical schools were beginning to view ideas in a scientific light, valuing the ability to study them. This was moving closer to allowing for the establishment of a discipline which studied humans scientifically. Another idea postulated by continental rationalist philosophers is Cartesian Dualism: that the mind and body are two separate entities; the body is a biological mechanism hat works like a machine, following laws of nature (Decartes, 1647), while the mind, or soul, is a representation of God. The mind and body interacted, according to this view, in the pineal gland in the brain (Baldwin, 1913). This view was important in the development of science that led to the establishment of psychology, because previously it was not possible to discuss the soul philosophically. However, the dualist view separated human, animal and vegetative souls into a hierarchy, and so humans were still viewed as being beyond the realm of science. A similar idea to the hierarchy of souls was described by Leibniz (1714) in his Monadology, he described a hierarchy of existence, which placed God at the top of the hierarchy, followed by humans, animals, and microbes. Prior to this period in philosophy, to speak of man in this way would have been considered heresy, as it was not acceptable to study or discuss man scientifically. While rationalists argued that humans are born with an innate ability to reason, empiricists held theShow MoreRelatedRationalism Vs Empiricism : Rationalism Versus Empiricism1385 Words   |  6 PagesDolce â€Å"Rationalism vs Empiricism† Today in society, many people are free to follow whichever philosophical view that they feel is right for them. Each philosophical view has a different set of beliefs, and many philosophers went through great lengths to prove that the philosophical view of their choice was the best one. In this paper I will be talking about two philosophical theories. The first one is called Empiricism, and it was made famous by a philosopher named David Hume. Empiricism statesRead More300 - 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 MoreCartesian Rationalism Vs. Locke s Empiricism Essay1632 Words   |  7 PagesPHILOSOPHY Introduction to Philosophy Name Institution INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY Cartesian rationalism vs. Locke’s empiricism Rene Descartes was a rationalist who believed that knowledge of the world can be gained by the exercise of pure reason, while empiricist like Locke believed that knowledge of the world came through senses. Descartes from his meditationsRead MoreEssay on Rationalism vs. Empiricism: The Argument for Empricism855 Words   |  4 Pagesepistemology: rationalism and empiricism. These two, very different, schools of thought attempt to answer the philosophical question of how knowledge is acquired. While rationalists believe that this process occurs solely in our minds, empiricists argue that it is, instead, through sensory experience. After reading and understanding each argument it is clear that empiricism is the most relative explanatory position in epistemology. To begin with the question of rationalism versus empiricism, it is importantRead MoreEssay about Rationalism and Empiricism1486 Words   |  6 PagesRationalism and Empiricism Rationalism and Empiricism are most likely the two most famous and intriguing schools of philosophy. The two schools deal specifically with epistemology, or, the origin of knowledge. Although not completely opposite, they are often considered so, and are seen as the Jordan vs. Bird of the philosophy world. The origins of rationalism and empiricism can be traced back to the 17th century, when many important advancements were made in scientific fields such as astronomyRead MoreEmpiricism and Rationalism Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pages(Markie, 2008, section 1.2) Yet, philosophical empiricism is defined in such an absolute way; which causes philosophical empiricism to be an inaccurate philosophical position from which to address all aspects of human life. Philosophical empiricism is defined as â€Å"the belief that all human knowledge arises from sense experience.† (Nash, 1999, page 254) Yet, medical empiricism is so far to the other extreme as to be insulting, while this e mpiricism is still said to be based on all sensory experience;Read MoreEmpiricism in Geography1294 Words   |  6 PagesFor the purpose of this essay I will critically discuss aspects of empiricism and the empirical method and their use in geography. I will discuss these aspects with close reference to a recommended reading for our course by Ward et al (2007). Empiricism is a philosophical idea that experience, which is based on observation and experimentation, is the only source of knowledge. Empiricism believes that the mind is a blank canvas and all knowledge arrives in the mind through the portals that are theRead MoreThe Founding Of The First Laboratory By Wilhelm Wundt Essay797 Words   |  4 Pagesscience should not rely on assumptions instead, it should start with the collection of facts. His stance lead scientists like John Locke and Thomas Reid to promote the fundamental principles of science such as empiricism and rationalism. Empiricism produces factual information w hile rationalism involves the development and elaboration of ideas. In 1881 Dr. Joseph Breuer was able to operate as a scientists and practitioner. However, today s society it is common for an individual to act as a scientistRead MoreNature vs. Nurture in Language Development1678 Words   |  7 PagesArticulated speech, Vocabulary of more than 6000 words and Observe grammar rules. An Average speaker is expected to have; 150 words per minute, 20,000 and 40,000 alternatives and error rates below 0.1%. There are two theories concerning Nature or Rationalism in Language and these are the Nativism and Child Talk model of Chapman et al. (1992). In the child talk theory the child’s needs will enable him to formulate speech based on his past experiences. Nature or rationalist theory is based on the followingRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Truth And Knowledge Essay2371 Words   |  10 PagesEnlightenment was characterized by the abandonment of age-old dogma in favor of a new way of thinking (Greenblatt and Abrams 2182-85). The scientific method, developed by Francis Bacon, had opened up several avenues for discovery and paved the way for empiricism, a prominent aspect of the era’s intellectual movement (Greenblatt and Abrams 2182-85). Among the greatest philosophers of the seventeenth century, John Locke is remembered as the most influential liberal philosopher to date. His contributions to

Theme of Growing up in Spies by Michael Frayn Essay

How does the author Michael Frayn discuss the theme of growing up? The theme of growing up is just one of many in the novel Spies. Frayn shows us Keith and Stephen?s coming of age throughout the book. There are numerous ways in which Frayn chooses to illustrate how the two young boys mature within their sexuality, maturity and general understanding in various ways. The reader is given a deep insight on the hardships, excitement and incomprehensions of childhood and how the boys mature to conquer it, making the reader in return remember similar aspects of their childhood. You become drawn in by the cleverly conceived and intricately executed storyline. It becomes clear when the boys begin to grow up as time goes on as the secrets are†¦show more content†¦he responds by ?thrashing about like a beached fish? in an attempt to recover it while urgently bellowing ?NO?. He realises that if he never brought her here, this would have never happened, but thus is a result of his actions and his newly formed daring and adventurous personality. During h is time with Barbara, in a shock to the audience, Stephen experiences his first kiss with her as ?she leans forward? towards his lips and thus consequently taking a few steps further out of childhood and establishing maturity with his new found taste for the opposite sex and participation in sexual activity. The thought of Stephen being involved with these kinds of doings during the earlier stages of the book would have been purposterous. A little after that he experiences his first cigarette which is iconic for adult life and denotes maturity. The thought of an under aged minor smoking is seen as an attempt to enter early adulthood and just sheer disobedience and lack of respect for the law and his parents wishes. Yet another way in which he is growing up and rebelling to a certain extent. Stephen also experiences growing up by entering a new stage of nobility and courage. When Keith?s father demands him to hand over the basket he remains ?silent? while perplexedly ?looking at the floor?. He himself realises near impossible revelation and instatement of nobility as he acknowledges that this is ?the bravest and mostShow MoreRelatedMichael Frayn Spies Essay1337 Words   |  6 PagesSpies Coursework Essay Michael Frayn’s method of shifting between past and present while narrating the novel Spies makes the story more engaging and more moving for the reader. He is able to effectively portray the innocence of childhood through narrating as an old man looking back at himself growing up in WWII and as a young boy living at the time. Frayn also uses shifts between past and present to better employ certain key themes such as withholding information, which is able to enhance how engaging

Conglomerate free essay sample

Materials manager at Captiva Conglomerate, A1 Carpenter, is holding a meeting with his Inventory and Spares manager, Sam, his Supply manager, Aaron, vice president of Operations, Jason, vice president of Finance, Monica, and director of Information Technology, Jana, to discuss the contract with SOS for an inventory management and spare parts management system. Sam, from Inventory and Spares, believes the spare parts system is not useable for him and his personnel, plus the delivery of the system is four months behind schedule. The information technology department believes the system works great from the perspective of Jim. The inventory management system is 10 months behind schedule and repercussions towards the supplier are minimal due to a lenient and poorly written contract, which stated verbiage such as best efforts and whenever possible. The contract with SOS has used the entirety of the $1 M allotted, even though the supplier has accepted 17 unpriced change orders. Jason, from Operations, specifies that the new system ould provide him better support, uptime, and cut inventory while providing improved support. We will write a custom essay sample on Conglomerate or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The question about who wrote the specification for the contracts is brought up and it is pointed out by Aaron, from Supply, that they were drafted by the supplier and initialed by Jana, from Information Technology Can Captiva Conglomerate produce better written and produced specifications, solving the problem of poorly written contracts, by implementing cross functional teams integrated by the pertinent members of all areas of the organization involved in the respective procurement? Best Solution: Establish a multi-functional team to include the purchasing manager, finance, a legal representative, IT, operations, and inventory spares to come up with a plan and strategy to definitize and clear up the SOS contract requirements. After this is ccomplished, re-engage with SOS to establish the new clear path for moving forward through a new agreement in order to achieve the deliverables needed by Captiva. Immediately following, a standard operating procedure would be created to establish guidance on putting together multifunctional teams for any major acquisition. Advantages: Clearing up the requirement documents will help Captive achieve the desired results it was looking for through the contract with SOS. This approach will also help establish a firm and final price for the deliverables needed. Involving all epartments in the acquisition process aids in establishing realistic lead times, improved specification writing, and proper financial planning. Creating a standard operating procedure will avoid the mistakes of the SOS contract in the future. Multifunctional teams create an environment of efficiency and effectiveness for solving large problems or tackling complex large requirements. Disadvantages: Addi tional time, resources, and cost will be incurred to clear the mess Captiva currently has. The contract with SOS will require additional funding in order to eceive the final deliverables. Additional coordination with other departments will require additional effort. There is always risk in trying to enter a new agreement with SOS and resistance could be encountered without a guaranteed result. Alternate Solution: Establish a new training on the approach towards new acquisitions and who should be involved in the process. Centralize the procurement process in Captiva, as it seems that the acquisition of the system through SOS was done solely by the Information Technology department and the president. Provide additional funding to the SOS contract in an attempt to finalize it. Advantages: New conditions will improve the writing of specifications and statements of work. The centralization of purchasing will produce specialization and better accountability of procurements. The current goal is still to receive both deliverables from SOS, while maintaining a good working relationship. Disadvantages: Cost of completing the contract will continue to increase as no set path to fixing it has been established. Time and cost of establishing a new training program

Consider the Iintroduction of Privacy Laws

Question: Discuss about the Consider the introduction of privacy laws at both the federal and provincial levels and the restrictions and controls this imposes on business. Does this place an unreasonable burden on business? Answer: Comment: Privacy is one of the important aspects to Canadians. With advancement of technology, business organizations focus to collect, store, transfer or disclose information about the customers more frequently as compared to previous years. To accumulate more personal information has certainly increased more risks to the organizations which are doing their business operations in Canada (DBIC, 2015). In the present scenario of social media, global networking, cloud computing or data flow, frequent security breaches related to data or identity theft is making headlines in countries like Canada. This indicates that public or policy concerns can be reduced by adopting appropriate privacy protection. Federal: In Canada, PIPEDA act (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) is used in private businesses that regulate to collect, disclose and use the personal information of the customers. The organization which works under federal business has limited access to personal information of the employee under the PIPEDA. The compliance of this law is more reasonable in circumstances where organizations collect, disclose or use personal information for particular purposes (Flaherty, 2014).This law is not applicable in case of provinces that legislates privacy according to federal government. In Canada, the organizations which are operate on international or interprovincial basis needs to regulate their business under both federal as well as provincial privacy legislation. Provincial: Quebec, Alberta and B.C. provinces in Canada have also enacted with privacy legislation according to PIPA act (Personal Information Protection Act) that focuses to protect personal information of the individuals in private sector. These laws are quite similar to PIPEDA act but some difference is still in this provincial legislation. This law is generally applicable in all private organizations regarding the collection, disclosure and use of individuals personal information and not with business operations only (Malcolmson et al, 2016).Quebec privacy act is also applicable in private sector for collection, disclosure and use of personal information. These laws, in a certain way, restrict the business operations of private organization in Canada and cannot use personal information of individual to enhance their commercial activities. References: DBIC (2015). Privacy law. Retrieved from: https://gowlingwlg.com/GowlingWLG/media/Canada/Guides/DBIC-2015-PRIVACY-O.pdf Flaherty, D. (2014). Protecting privacy in surveillance societies: The federal republic of Germany, Sweden, France, Canada, and the United States. USA: UNC Press Books. Malcolmson, P., Myers, R., Baier, G. and Bateman, T. (2016). The Canadian regime: An introduction to parliamentary government in Canada. Canada: University of Toronto Press.