Study Notes on Empiricism and John Locke

HISTORY AND SYSTEMS

LECTURE 2A

EMPIRICISM

  • Definition: Any knowledge acquired is through sensory experience, asserting that knowledge is not innate nor can it be attained through reason alone.

FIRST, A SIDE TRIP

  • Question: Why is Empiricism significant?

  • Empiricism is one of many competing views in Epistemology.

    • Epistemology: The study of the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. It intersects heavily with psychology and science.

    • Explores concepts such as:

      • Truth

      • Belief

      • Justification

      • Consciousness

      • Doubt

      • Certainty

EMPIRICISM: ORIGINAL IDEA

  • George Locke's work: "AN ESSAY CONCERNING Humane Understanding. In Four BOOKS."

    • Citation: Cicero's quote about the value of acknowledging ignorance.

    • John Locke: 1632-1704, prominent figure from the United Kingdom.

    • Published in London: Printed by Eliz. Holt for Thomas Ballet, MDCXC.

NOT THE EARLIEST ADVOCATE

  • Locke is noted as a prominent advocate of Empiricism but not the earliest:

    • Aristotle (c. 350 BCE): Known for early empiric ideas in ancient Greek philosophy.

    • Kaṇāda (c. 600-200 BCE): Ancient Indian philosopher who contributed to early understanding of empiricism.

THE UNDERSTANDING

  • Categories of knowledge:

    • The limitations of our knowledge

    • Things we know with certainty

    • Guesses

INTELLECTUAL HUMILITY

  • Locke's assertion: Successful inquiry may promote intellectual humility, persuading humanity to:

    • Be cautious in engaging with concepts beyond understanding.

    • Recognize the limits of human knowledge.

    • Accept ignorance in aspects that exceed our cognitive capacities.

  • Quotation (pp. 1-2): Encourages acknowledgement of the limits of knowledge.

LOCKE’S TARGET: THE INNATENESS DOCTRINE

  • Innateness Doctrine: Proposes that some principles are innate within human understanding.

  • Argued through the universal consent theory (principles accepted universally are considered innate).

  • Examples of claimed innate principles:

    • "Whatever is, is."

    • "It is impossible for the same thing to be and not be."

SOME CANDIDATES FOR INNATE KNOWLEDGE

  • Potential claims of innate knowledge include:

    • Free will exists.

    • God exists.

    • Mind and body represent distinct substances.

    • Quotation from Dorothy Allison: "Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is what it means to have no loved version of your life but the one you make." (p. 3)

NO INNATE PRINCIPLES IN THE MIND

  • Locke refutes the existence of innate principles by stating:

    • Infants and “idiots” do not understand alleged innate principles.

    • Quotation (p. 3): Humans acquire knowledge purely through natural faculties without assistance from innate notions.

BLANK SLATE OPPONENTS

  • Functionalists and subsequent evolutionary psychologists oppose Locke's blank slate theory, arguing:

    • Evolution has shaped human thought, leading to certain cognitive tendencies and limitations.

  • Leibniz's Counterargument: Introduces the metaphor of a block of marble to illustrate the idea that innate capacities determine potential outcomes.

NO INNATE MORAL PRINCIPLES

  • Locke posits that there are no agreed-upon moral principles, indicating:

    • Lack of universal consent undermines the concept of innate morality.

    • Quotation (p. 11): “No moral rule can be supposed to be innate if it is universally transgressed with public approval or without disapproval.”

AMERICAN SLAVERY AND MORAL INIQUITY

  • Historical context of slavery:

    • American slavery (1619-1865) versus ancient forms of slavery.

    • Contemporary slavery is legally prohibited, contrasting with historical acceptance of American slavery.

  • Criticism of Locke regarding his views on slavery and inherited power.

OPPOSITION TO AUTHORITARIANISM

  • Locke warns against authoritarian imposition of supposed innate moral principles:

    • The risk of blind credulity under authoritarian regimes, where principles are accepted uncritically.

    • Quotation (pp. 16-17): Highlights the danger of unreasoned acceptance of imposed beliefs, likening it to a "shortcut to infallibility"—similar to Popper's critique of unfalsifiable claims.

THE WATERS IN WHICH LOCKE WAS SWIMMING

  • Societal limitations present during Locke's time include:

    • No concept of animal rights: Emphasizing human dominance over animals.

    • Derogatory language towards intellectual disabilities.

    • Sexism pervasive in Locke’s writings.

    • Prejudice against atheism: Quotation (p. 14) condemns open atheism.

SUMMARY: LOCKE

  • Conclusion of Locke's argument includes:

    • Denial of innate principles, whether moral or otherwise.

    • Knowledge acquisition requires the use of natural faculties for observation, foundational to scientific investigation.

    • Caution against blind reliance on authority; individuals should seek knowledge through exploration and inquiry not dictated by powerful figures.

A FAVORITE QUOTE

  • Locke’s critique of moral absolutism: “There is hardly a principle of morality to be named, or rule of virtue to be thought of, that is not somewhere in the world slighted and condemned by the general fashion of whole societies of men who live by moral views and rules that are quite opposite to those of others.” (p. 11)

    • Acknowledges the complexity of moral relativism and universal ethical truths.

SNEAK PEEK: YARKONI

  • Reflection on empirical claims: Emphasis on the distinction between claiming to practice "empirical science" and the actual advancement of knowledge.

LECTURE 2A
EMPIRICISM

  • Definition: Knowledge is acquired solely through sensory experience, not innate or derived from reason alone. It's a key view in Epistemology, the study of knowledge.

EMPIRICISM: ORIGINAL IDEA

  • John Locke (1632-1704) prominently advocated Empiricism in "AN ESSAY CONCERNING Humane Understanding," though earlier advocates included Aristotle and Kaṇāda.

  • Locke asserted intellectual humility, acknowledging the limits of human knowledge and cautioning against engaging with concepts beyond understanding.

LOCKE’S TARGET: THE INNATENESS DOCTRINE

  • Locke refuted the Innateness Doctrine, which claims some principles (e.g., "Whatever is, is," "God exists," "Free will exists") are innate.

  • He argued that infants and those with intellectual disabilities do not understand these alleged innate principles, and knowledge is acquired through natural faculties.

  • He also denied innate moral principles, stating that their universal transgression and lack of consent undermine claims of innate morality, as evidenced by diverse societal practices including American slavery.

BLANK SLATE OPPONENTS

  • While Locke proposed a "blank slate," opponents like functionalists and evolutionary psychologists argue that evolution shapes human thought. Leibniz used the metaphor of a block of marble to suggest innate capacities.

OPPOSITION TO AUTHORITARIANISM

  • Locke warned against authoritarian imposition of supposedly innate moral principles, emphasizing the danger of uncritical acceptance of beliefs.

THE WATERS IN WHICH LOCKE WAS SWIMMING

  • Locke's views were influenced by his era's limitations, including a lack of animal rights, sexism, derogatory language toward intellectual disabilities, and prejudice against atheism.

SUMMARY: LOCKE

  • Conclusion: Locke denied innate principles (moral or otherwise), posited that knowledge comes from natural faculties and observation, and cautioned against blind reliance on authority.

  • He highlighted the complexity of moral relativism, noting that moral rules vary widely across societies.