The Empiricists: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides For The Perplexed)

Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 10
1.1. Empiricism and the Empiricists......Page 14
1.2. The Intellectual Background to the Early Modern Empiricists......Page 16
1.2.1. Martin Luther and the Reformation......Page 17
1.2.2. Aristotelian cosmology and the Scientific Revolution......Page 18
1.2.3. Aristotelian/Scholastic hylomorphism and the rise of mechanism......Page 20
1.2.4. The Royal Society of London......Page 24
2. Francis Bacon (1561–1626)......Page 26
2.1. The Natural Realm: The Idols of the Mind......Page 27
2.1.1. Idols of the Tribe......Page 28
2.1.2. Idols of the Cave......Page 30
2.1.3. Idols of the Marketplace......Page 32
2.1.4. Idols of the Theatre......Page 34
2.2.1. Aristotelian/Scholastic syllogisms: deductions dismissed......Page 36
2.2.2. Baconian empiricism: induction introduced......Page 37
2.3. Conclusion: Bacon the Empiricist......Page 41
3. Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)......Page 43
3.1. The Natural Realm: Hobbes’s Materialistic Mechanism......Page 44
3.1.1. The importance of motion......Page 45
3.1.2. Sensation and the mind......Page 48
3.2.1. Two kinds of knowledge and proper ratiocination......Page 54
3.2.2. The method of analysis and the method of synthesis......Page 56
3.3. Conclusion: Hobbes the Empiricist......Page 61
4. Pierre Gassendi (1592–1655)......Page 63
4.1.1. The basic principles of Gassendi’s atomism......Page 64
4.1.2. Atomistic sensation......Page 68
4.2.1. The sceptics are partly correct......Page 70
4.2.2. Knowledge regained?......Page 72
4.3. Conclusion: Gassendi the Empiricist......Page 74
5. Robert Boyle (1627–1691)......Page 75
5.1. The Natural Realm: Boyle’s Mechanism (‘Corpuscularianism’)......Page 77
5.1.1. The basic principles of Boyle’s mechanism (or ‘corpscularianism’)......Page 78
5.1.2. Sensation and the mind......Page 83
5.2.1. The excellency of mechanism......Page 85
5.2.2. Experimentation and the status of mechanism......Page 89
5.3. Conclusion: Boyle the Empiricist......Page 90
6. John Locke (1632–1704)......Page 91
6.1. The Natural Realm: Locke’s Mechanism......Page 94
6.1.1. Against innatism......Page 95
6.1.2. Ideas and the Tabula Rasa......Page 99
6.1.3. Primary and secondary qualities, and our confused idea of substance......Page 101
6.1.4. Locke on power......Page 107
6.2. Knowledge and Experience: Locke’s Epistemology......Page 109
6.2.1. Indirect realism, or the representational theory of perception......Page 110
6.2.2. The certainty of knowledge......Page 112
6.2.3. The origin of knowledge......Page 115
6.2.4. The extent of knowledge......Page 119
6.3. Conclusion: Locke the Empiricist......Page 123
7. Isaac Newton (1642–1727)......Page 125
7.1. The Natural Realm: Newton’s Principia......Page 128
7.1.1. A world of forces: universal gravitation......Page 129
7.1.2. What kind of quality is gravity?......Page 130
7.1.3. Mechanism and action at a distance......Page 134
7.2.1. The four rules......Page 136
7.2.2. Whither natural philosophy?......Page 138
7.3. Conclusion: Newton the Empiricist......Page 139
8. George Berkeley (1685–1753)......Page 141
8.1.1. The world contains only souls and ideas......Page 143
8.1.2. Esse est percipi: two arguments for idealism/immaterialism......Page 146
8.1.3. Against the primary/secondary quality distinction......Page 150
8.2.1. Against the representational theory of perception......Page 152
8.2.2. Defeating the sceptic, and returning to common sense......Page 156
8.2.3. Mechanism, Newtonianism and instrumentalism: Berkeley on the new science......Page 157
8.2.4. Responses to popular objections......Page 163
8.3. Conclusion: Berkeley the Empiricist......Page 166
9. David Hume (1711–1776)......Page 168
9.1. The Natural Realm: Hume’s Psychological Approach......Page 170
9.1.1. Impressions and ideas......Page 171
9.1.2. The principles of association......Page 173
9.2.1. Relations of ideas vs. matters of fact......Page 174
9.2.2. From matters of fact to cause and effect: Hume’s first question......Page 176
9.2.3. Knowledge of cause and effect: Hume’s second question......Page 177
9.2.4. The problem of induction: Hume’s third question......Page 183
9.2.5. Hume’s positive account of causation: induction regained?......Page 187
9.3. Conclusion: Hume the Empiricist......Page 190
10. Empiricism and the Empiricists: Summary and Conclusion......Page 191
Bibliography......Page 194
B......Page 198
G......Page 199
I......Page 200
M......Page 201
S......Page 202
W......Page 203