Empiricism

When asking ourselves what is empiricism in philosophy we cannot help but speak of the Empiricism vs. Rationalism debate that began with Descartes’s cogito ergo sum of and ended with Immanuel Kant. The Empiricism of John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume - known as the British Empiricists - developed in the 17th and 18th centuries and was a very influential movement. In contrast to the Rationalists (who believed that knowledge was only possible through reason and the mind), the Empiricists maintained that experience was the only origin of knowledge. Their challenge was to show why it was not unreliable in light of Descartes’s investigations in Discourse on the Method. So in this episode, we explore all this ground as we seek to answer the question: what is empiricism?
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📚 Sources:
Berkeley, G., 1881. A treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge. JB Lippincott & Company.
Berkeley, G., 2012. Three dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Broadview Press.
Hume, D., 2016. An enquiry concerning human understanding (pp. 191-284). Routledge.
Locke, J., 1847. An essay concerning human understanding. Kay & Troutman.
Secondary:
Downing, Lisa, "George Berkeley", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = plato.stanford.edu/archives/s...
Markie, Peter, "Rationalism vs. Empiricism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = plato.stanford.edu/archives/f...
Morris, William Edward and Charlotte R. Brown, "David Hume", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = plato.stanford.edu/archives/s...
Turbayne, C.M., 1985. Hume's Influence on Berkeley. Revue Internationale de Philosophie, pp.259-269.
Uzgalis, William, "John Locke", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = plato.stanford.edu/archives/s...
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🎶 Music Used:
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2. Mesmerise - Kevin MacLeod
3. Evening Fall Harp - Kevin MacLeod
4. Anguish - Kevin MacLeod
5. End of the Era - Kevin MacLeod
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⌛ Timestamps:
0:00 Empiricism vs. Rationalism
2:17 John Locke’s Empiricism
5:34 George Berkeley’s Subjective Idealism
8:42 Hume’s Sceptical Empiricism
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#empiricism #thelivingphilosophy #rationalism #philosophy #locke #berkeley #hume

[@stianvanwyk5465]

You have an incredible ability to weave great storytelling into these rich ideas. It breaks them down really well and ends up being super engaging. Thank you for sharing your talents.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Ah thanks Stian! That's a really meaningful compliment for me so thank you for that. It's something that I try to do - find the angle to really make the knowledge accessible and stickier so thank you for making me feel seen!

[@yqafree]

You made epistemology much more attainable for my wife than I ever could 😁 I always think it's interesting to think that as long as we have a mind tangential to the apparently external world and vice versa rationalism and empiricism are inextricable.

[@sannederoever1320]

Thank you very much for your very clear explanation. Being educated as methodologist and now active in data science, I wanted to brush up on my epistemology. My understanding is now deeper than it ever was.

[@Anicius_]

Please don't ever alter your style this is how a channel about philosophy should exactly work. Thank you.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

I really appreciate that thanks Orestes!

[@glennrussell575]

Thanks for this. Excellent presentation. I recall one statement completely transformed my view of the world when I was back in college - Berkeley's "To be is to be perceived." So, thinks I, when I read a great novel or look at a great work of art, I am bringing a fresh vibrant dimension into life.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Mind blowing statement Glenn right!?

[@glennrussell575]

@@TheLivingPhilosophy So true! For me at the time, Berkeley's statement propelled me out of the cave where I was looking at shadows on the wall, propelled me out to behold the noonday sun. -- This when a freshman in college, a time before I ever heard of Plato's allegory of the cave. After that class on Berkeley, as an 18-year-old, I made the decision then and there to transform my life by dedicating myself to the study of philosophy. 50+ years later, I'm here to say I made the right choice.

[@owlnyc666]

Hume was a skeptic about god. He doubted not only the existence of god, but also that it was possible to know the nature of god even if one did exist. He did not doubt that religions , specially the Christian religion existed. But he was not a Christian. He was skeptical about miracles. That is events that ran contrary to natural law. He pointed out that other religions have stories regarding miracles in their religion but are skeptical about miraculous stories of other relgions.

[@amanpoddar4758]

You are a gem! Your words flow with so much meaning and depth. Its amazing! I thank you for your effort!

[@LordZupper]

Amazing work! I feel like i just just got a degree in philosophy now.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Haha thanks Zepper that's music to my ears!

[@caetanosoaresdasilva4426]

Thank you very much for your notion about empirism...I'm very interested about this context...

[@alllowercase6277]

Again. Always great. Good to have these complex ideas elucidated by your charming videos. I shall watch them all. Superb artworks too.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Thank you so much Raider! Your support means a lot!

[@owretchedman]

Outstanding summation of these three !

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Thanks you sir!

[@drewnelson8692]

This topic was sooo interesting. I have not read any of these guy's but I am extremely interested in Hume now. I think I will look into him more and then look into Kant (I think that's how you spell it). Locke definetly wasn't resonanting with me, Berkeley a little more, and then Hume's ideas were vibrating on that perfect frequency for me.Thank you for giving me a whole new branch to look into, i'm so excited!

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Awesome Drew! Yeah I think Hume will be getting his own video in time because not only was he such an influential philosopher but he was very much a living philosopher so definitely will be looking at getting into that. Thanks for the support and delighted I've opened new avenues of fascination for you!

[@tiberiusbonates6121]

Great video! Thank you!

[@sandyellis6068]

Thank you for this. I’m a student of Tibetan Buddhism, the Madhyamika Prasanghika school. What you’re saying here is reminding me of their teachings about Emptiness and Dependent Origination. Are you familiar with this? I’m in my 60’s but only just investigating philosophy, so am learning a lot here with you videos. Again, thanks 😊

[@amarachukwuechoke9192]

This is so rich and at the same time it is so entertaining .

[@edgarmapesabusiness3490]

I am currently reading Critiques of Pure reason,i needed to have atleast have a substantial basis of a priori knowledge before delving back in to his work

[@TheVernon8]

The insights proffered here are of exceeding worth. I know of no foray, on this or any other venue, that requires such erudition or occasions such delight. Hooray for you, The Living Philosophy, and glorious may be your fortunes. Huzzah! Signed, Joey (Age 1)

[@TheVernon8]

4 days remain.

[@TheVernon8]

3 days remain.

[@TheVernon8]

2 days remain.

[@shivagoncalves6525]

This video is awesome.

[@adrianalexander3262]

Great work. When you spoke about the great perceiver, my first thought was if something needs to be perceived to exist or hold meaning, who perceives God? Perhaps there are spiritual beings or even human beings God has made his presence known to. Does the quantity of perceivers matter? If my whole life I am only perceived by one person, would less perceivers make it less of a truth than someone perceived by many people?

[@siyaindagulag.]

Thank you teacher . It would seem I have much more reading ahead !

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Thanks Siya! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@markdpricemusic1574]

Excellent.presentation - thoughtful , clear, and content rich as ever... and the pace is better suited to the people who listen too slowly on some of your other videos, M, .

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

thanks Mark! Much appreciated!

[@dr.mukulkamle9658]

Detail and well presented. Very nice

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Thanks Dr Mukul!!

[@adezazeris8487]

Thank you

[@MartaniPanganSehat]

Thankyou.

[@maximilianschneller8944]

I would be very interested in your opinion about eastern philosophies like buddhism or daoism :)

[@morganpitcher7752]

I perceive that this philosopher has striking blue eyes and long, majestic hair!

[@Headington_Oxford]

Very nice explanation, thank you!

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Glad it was helpful Jett!

[@AlmostEthical]

I laughed out loud at 7:45. Such a philosophical cop-out by Descartes and Berkeley.

[@matsp.5215]

Excellent video, the source for Hume's skepticism and refutation of God is quite fascinating to me. Perhaps one minor point of feedback would be to credit the artwork whenever you are displaying it? Both as a sign of respect, but also if the art looks interesting, one can look further into it ;). Thanks and take care.

[@carlosvillarreal1243]

Could we consider Merleau-Ponty's take on Perception to be a continuation of Berkeley or a counter to it?

[@PhilosophyToons]

Kudos for pronouncing Berkeley correctly! Great video, hopefully the rationalists get their own too

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Haha yeah in doing the research that emerged as a VERY important faux pas not to make XD The Rationalists shall indeed have their day I think the -isms shall all have their day!

[@sf7648]

Thank you! I needed to review all these before an exam and your voice is quite nice to listen to!

[@_PanchoVilla]

Is there like a philosophy equivalent bar exam? I'm over here learning philosophy for small talk at bars/coffeehouses and people are making a living out of it. 😅

[@sf7648]

@@_PanchoVilla lmao it’s a great thing to learn and I imagine you’re very entertaining :))

[@_PanchoVilla]

@@sf7648 what are you planning on writing about?

[@sf7648]

@@_PanchoVilla I ended up writing about the anthology Plato wrote of Socrates and Euthyphro :) I specifically spoke on the topic of impiety vs pious; how the conversation is still relevant now: if there is God/Gods/Higher-being, is something pious because the Gods love it, or is it inherently pious and thus the Gods love it? The topic being close to Euthyphro due to him attending trial to damn his own father, while Socrates brings forth the question “how do you really know? You’re willing to condemn your father, surely you must have proper logistics” essentially! All the while Socrates himself is about to be murdered for impiety! It’s a very spicy dialogue in my opinion!

[@_PanchoVilla]

@@sf7648 Euthyphro dilemma is quite interesting indeed. I love the classic painting of a depiction of a man willing to die for his convictions in 'Death of Socrates.' I couldn't help but think of the dichotomy between Ivan and Aloysha in the Brothers Karazmov while reading your comment. Were you limited to Socrates and Euthyphro in your dissertation? Because Nietzsche has entered the chat.

[@CensoredVA]

I've had discussions with friends lately that kind of intersect on this philosophy. The discussions are about AI and its ability to create believable fakes of text, images, voices and even video, on top of often coordinated gaslighting, has warped the sense of what is real and what isn't real. This will likely get significantly worse as technology develops but with so much of what people experience being through internet platforms now, how can we be sure anything we see on a screen is a genuine reflection of an experience or a trick, an illusion. If the theater of the mind turns out to be a puppet show, how can we know? How do we reconcile that in our rational mind if the truth that we believed was reality turned out to be a forgery? Kind off off in a weird direction now. Thanks for the video, it gave my brain something to gnaw on.

[@harryburn412]

Was Father Dougal inadvertently referencing his Irish forebear with the cows - 6:30?

[@SM_zzz]

Fair play tya 👌🏻

[@Menapho]

We can use some Hume today!

[@Motorlizard]

Your Channel is exploding! Congratulations!

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

I know Bill! I was looking forward to your next comment because it was the last video you congratulated me on the 2k that has fuelled the explosion! Tha just for the support as ever Bill

[@OscarSmith-tv8yz]

what is that first paining of the philosphers called?

[@mccjk2663]

My whole 6 months of semester syllabus is completed in just 13 minutes 🤯

[@alanbaral]

You are a great storyteller. Where can we be connected? If you use any other social media like Facebook, Twitter, please put up the link.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Thanks a million Alan! I'm on both Twitter (@platotes) and on Facebook (there's a The Living Philosophy page and group) you can mesage me through any of them! I'll see if I can get them up on the channel page actually

[@alanbaral]

@@TheLivingPhilosophy Okay, I'll catch up with all three of them.

[@newcenterfordeepecology8561]

tysm

[@ghostagee5232]

Who made that second painting?

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Hi Ghosta the second one is a portrait of Descartes by Jan Baptist Weenix (here's a link to it on Wikimedia commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Utrecht_Weenix_Descartes.JPG)

[@violavuli6441]

❤

[@Mark.Allen1111]

I think therefore I am? I am therefore I think? One is no better than the other?

[@leniepenie3419]

Yes he did it!

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Haha thanks Lenie! I can't ignore a good idea when I see one 😆

[@ClyDIley]

Without sounding to much like one of those 'dime a dozen' sycophantic simps always breaking their arms in the comments section of their favorite youtuber's vidjas.... heh... I really do appreciate your style, or maybe predisposition is the better word for it? Or maybe character even... Whatever it may be, I find the quality commendable and endearing, if not damn near admirable. During these times of infinite internet BS, at least, if that's not too cliche... Suppose it's always been that way, though... ain't it?... You'll have to excuse the poor southern grammar, thats just the accent of the wise guy feeding down lines from upstairs whenever Im being considerate. It's a nurture thing I suppose, or poor taste perhaps... Anyways, always a pleasure, Sir. Good huntin out there.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

I really really appreciate this comment Bailey (Southern grammar included); one comment like this is enough to keep me right for a year and remind me why I'm doing this. Thank you

[@AshrafulIslam-ot7vj]

Typing mistake in caption

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

ty

[@michaelnathan3836]

Things are clear and sort of easy to understand that all don't agree the same way to same things. It is funny how thinking happens. Eve. Ridiculous!!!

[@michaelnathan3836]

Even ridiculous.

[@QbutNotTheQ]

You think therefore you should spell check.

[@AporiaDocs]

Yo! Dropped you a message on Reddit about a potential colab. Your KZbin email is dead!

[@rl7012]

The massive flaw with Hume's idea was his distinction between primary and secondary qualities. He makes out the first is objective and the second subjective but they are both subjective. Hume assumes an objectivity, e.g. size, shape, volume etc. that is not there. Barclays argument is based on things existing having to be perceived. That is his argument for God. Hume's come back is that how do we know other people exist, that in no way destroys Barclays God argument, but it can lead to solopsism which is not a conclusion that is anti God, it just redirects the God to the self. Neither does Hume's argument do anything to shore up Hume's earlier wrong supposition of an objective primary quality of things. Hume is massively over-rated

[@owretchedman]

I see no difference between Hume and Shankara. It baffles me why spiritual minded people get upset by him.

[@MrJMont21]

Descartes pioneered the rationalist method? I don’t think so. Plato’s rationalism preceded his rationalism.

[@jarrodyuki7081]

this is descend from plato plato philosophers!!!!!!!!

[@123456789772951]

Interesting but all this rationalism and empiricism kills fairies does it not ? 🥺 x

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Hahaha indeed it does but on the other hand it has saved a lot of babies so it's definitely something we want to consume as part of a balanced and healthy diet

[@aodhfinn]

I wonder could you make a documentary treating Ai in the context of Nietzsche s age of Nihilism that he predicted , and the danger assuming the collapse of ethics in the ' advanced ' countries ? .....The greatest threat to humanity now is AI , and its greater than the collapse of God .

[@_PanchoVilla]

Ai cannot conquer the Übermensch

[@aodhfinn]

@@_PanchoVilla why not , was Nietzsche wrong so that the higher man transcended physicality, and instead got to god before Harari s offspring ..?

[@madykelley2555]

The concept of God makes me angry. He represents the separation of nature and man that so many are decieved by.

[@benquinneyiii7941]

Don’t assume anything

[@rl7012]

Interesting video but you don't hide your atheism very well.

[@G_Demolished]

Why should one hide one’s atheism?

[@rl7012]

@@G_Demolished It is nothing to be proud of believing that everything came from nothing. Embarrassing for atheists to have such backward beliefs with zero empirical evidence to back up their beliefs.