Empirists

Empirists are proponents of empiricism, a theory of knowledge that holds that all ideas and beliefs originate in sensory experience. Empiricism emphasizes observation, experimentation, and evidence gathered through the senses, often rejecting claims not grounded in experience. It contrasts with rationalist accounts that treat reason as the primary source of knowledge.

Historically, empiricism developed in the early modern period, with Francis Bacon advocating inductive reasoning; later English empiricists; John Locke argued that the mind starts as a blank slate and knowledge derives from experience; George Berkeley argued that existence consists in being perceived; David Hume extended empiricism into skepticism about causation.

Other notable empiricists include Thomas Hobbes (often placed in the tradition) and John Stuart Mill, who argued for the primacy of induction and empirical methods in the sciences. The empirical tradition has influenced psychology, natural philosophy, and the scientific method, promoting observation, controlled experiment, and reproducibility.

Critics, particularly rationalists, have argued that experience alone cannot justify knowledge of abstract concepts or necessary truths. Kant attempted to reconcile empiricism with rationalist insights by arguing that experience requires a priori structures of mind.

Today, empiricism persists in philosophy of science, cognitive science, and data-driven disciplines, shaping methodologies that prioritize observational data, experimentation, and testing of hypotheses.