Innate Ideas and Mathematical Proof
Philosopher Ian Hacking observes that rationalists were fascinated by the possibility of mathematical proof, while empiricists were not. He notes that there is an enormous difference to this day among philosophers about this same subject. For those ...
History and Science
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson says that questions are always rooted in their historical moment. "There are interests in certain kinds of knowledge over other kinds of knowledge...and in posing certain question and n...
Rounding Numbers: Summary Example and an Exercise
This clip walks us through two examples of rounding with decimal numbers, then invites the student to, "Â…try one yourself...(and) handle it like the problem we just finished." The clip then talks about the importance of, "Â…returning to the origina...
Science, Race and Immigration
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson talks about the ascendancy of science in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and the use of science to classify people into racial types and racial hierarchies. This gave rise to...
Does All Knowledge Come from Experience?: W.V.O. Quine and Contemporary Empiricism
W.V.O. Quine, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, is a naturalist and an empiricist. Quine views science as a vast web of interconnected beliefs which is related to the sensory experience only "along the periphery." Vital c...
Changes in Our Conception of Human Nature (Part One)
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about changes in the way human nature has been viewed over time. From the time of Aristotle through the Enlightenment, human nature was seen as being an essential characteristic of what it is to be human, in which the v...
Changes in Our Conception of Human Nature (Part Two)
Philosopher Ian Hacking continues his exploration of changes in the way human nature has been looked at over time. He notes that as cities began to grow so, too, did crime and poverty. As a result, resources which might have at one time been used to...
Theoreticians and Experimenters
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the differences in approach and skill sets between those who practice science primarily as theoreticians, and others who are primarily experimenters. Professor Hacking points out that theoreticians get most of the...
The Scientific View of Human Nature
Continuing his discussion of science and its limitations, philosopher Hubert Dreyfus says that science is good at figuring out facts, like the genetic code or what human beings need in order to survive. Where science falls short, Professor Dreyfus e...
Thomas Kuhn
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about Thomas Kuhn's notion that science is very much a historical process--one in which breakthroughs often come at unexpected or unpredictable times, rather than at regular intervals. He also discusses Kuhn's notion of...