The Empiricists

by Carlin, Laurence

• ISBN13: 9781847061997
• ISBN10: 1847061990
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-09
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

A concise and accessible introduction to the key empiricists of the 17th and 18th centuries, ideal for undergraduate students.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

    i. Empiricism and the Empiricists    ii. Intellectual Background to Early Modern Empiricism

2. Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

    i. The Natural Realm: The Idols of the Mind

    ii. Knowledge and Experience: Induction Introduced

    iii. Conclusion: Bacon the Empiricist3. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

    i. The Natural Realm: Hobbes's Materialistic Mechanism

    ii. Knowledge and Experience: Definitions and the Euclidean Method

    iii. Conclusion: Hobbes the Empiricist4. Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655)

    i. The Natural Realm: Gassendi's Atomism

    ii. Knowledge and Experience: The 'Middle Way' to Knowledge    iii. Conclusion: Gassendi the Empiricist5. Robert Boyle (1627-1691)

    i. The Natural Realm: Boyle's Mechanism ('Corpuscularianism')

    ii. Knowledge and Experience: Mechanism and the Cautious Experimenter    iii. Conclusion: Boyle the Empiricist

6. John Locke (1632-1704)

    i. The Natural Realm: Locke's Mechanism

    ii. Knowledge and Experience: Locke's Epistemology

    iii. Conclusion: Locke the Empiricist

7. Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

    i. The Natural Realm: The Principia

    ii. Knowledge and Experience: Rules for the Study of Natural Philosophy    iii. Conclusion: Newton the Empiricist

8. George Berkeley (1685-1753)

    i. The Natural Realm: Berkeley's Idealism

    ii. Knowledge and Method: Berkeley's Common Sense Epistemology

    iii. Conclusion: Berkeley the Empiricist

9. David Hume (1711-1776)

    i. The Natural Realm: Hume's Psychological Approach

    ii. Knowledge and Method: Hume's Semi-Scepticism    iii.Conclusion: Hume the Empiricist

10. Empiricism and the Empiricists: Sumnmary and Conclusion

Bibliography

Index