Empiricism

A false theory of Knowledge that asserts that all knowledge is derived from the senses.

Empiricism is self-refuting: the claim that all knowledge comes from sensory experience is not itself derived from sensory experience. Sensory input is theory-laden — interpreted by minds using existing explanations, not mechanically processed into knowledge.

Connections

• •Related to Inductivism — both overemphasize the role of observation
• •Related to Bayesian Epistemology — another variant of the same error
• •Refuted by Critical Rationalism — knowledge comes from Conjecture and Criticism
• •Evidence is always interpreted through theory, never raw
• •Ignores the role of Creativity in generating explanations
• •A form of Foundationalism — senses as the foundation of knowledge