Introducing Empiricism

Description

Our knowledge comes primarily from experience. But is experience really what it seems? Is it reliable? Empiricist philosophers accept a 'commonsense' view of fact and yet conclude that all we can ever know are 'ideas'. Physical reality may not exist at all! A radical new outlook in 17th century science, the experimental breakthroughs of Kepler, Galileo and Newton informed this great British tradition in philosophy. This book outlines the arguments of Locke, Berkeley, Hume, J.S Mill, Bertrand Russell, and the last British empiricist, A.J. Ayer. Criticisms of empiricism find reference in Kant, Wittgenstein, Karl Popper and others.

Dave Robinson is the author of numerous Introducing bestsellers including Philosophy. He has taught the subject for many years and lives in Devon.