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