Empiricism

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Empiricism is, roughly, the view that our substantive knowledge and understanding of any proposition, skill, or discipline is ultimately grounded in experience. The course is dedicated to expanding and clarifying that rough characterization. An introduction to the main tenets of empiricism as a philosophical movement, the course comprises a selection of various historical versions of the view as well as significant contemporary work. The course will include examples from a variety philosophical traditions, as well as a variety of focal disciplines used to illustrate the view (e.g., philosophy of the various sciences; epistemology; metaphysics; political theory; etc.). Reading lists and specific topics addressed vary from semester to semester, as do required work and expectations. Please consult the syllabuses posted online by individual instructors for more detail.