Empiricism

Empiricism relates to a theory of epistemology (study of how we get knowledge) that claims that the only way to know something is through experience - by using our senses/perceptions. Often contrasted with rationalism (practically the opposite claim), empiricists hold that it is only through using our senses and experiencing something that we can actually come to any conclusions about the external world and what exists. For example, to have any knowledge about what a cat is we must first experience it (perhaps in real-life or through pictures and the like). Once we experience it, then we are able to intuit its essence (what it actually is and what makes a cat distinct from, say, a lion). Then, as we repeatedly ‘experience’ the cat, our intuitions become more solid and distinct within our minds, and thus we can now form a basis for our knowledge of that particular animal. At least that is one empiricist perspective. It is important to keep in mind that it is in theory possible to be an empiricist as it relates to one thing, but a rationalist for another, and perhaps a skeptic on certain subjects. There are some empiricists who think that we cannot gain mathematical knowledge through experience, for example. However, the term 'empiricism' has historically been used to indicate that all forms of knowledge come from empirical data. Empiricists do not outright deny reason, but rather the ‘supremacy’ of reason (as it is called by some philosophers) and hold that our concepts, ideas, reasons, and our thought process can only be made possible through experiential knowledge - as if we did not have any experiential knowledge, then we would have nothing to think about, and we would not be able to form knowledge or any foundation for it. It is lastly important to note that the epistemological theory of empiricism is related, but technically distinct, from the more general and broad 'empirical attitude' that Big Science typically employs (as there is a history of both empiricists and rationalists being successful scientists).