PHIL110A Study Guide - Final Guide: Paradigm Shift, Popular Science, Thomas Kuhn
3 Sep 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The philosophy of science explores the epistemology and metaphysics of science. David hume is an empiricist (believing knowledge derives from experience). Previously we studied hume"s skepticism though his characters. Locke, believing that all our beliefs are founded in experience. But hume modified locke"s theory of ideas (which was inspired by the science of the day . Corpuscular theory), saying that at the foundation of our mind are our perceptions (which include any mental content including sensations) as opposed to just simple and complex ideas. He split up perceptions into impressions (feelings, more forceful and alive to us) and ideas (thoughts, less clear and lively to us). Then, he split up impressions into two categories. Original impressions which are impressions of sensations. They are immediate and come from the senses as well as pain and pleasure. To understand the cause of these we"d need to go beyond our experience which is impossible. Secondary impressions which are impressions of reflection.
