Rationalism
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about rationalism, concluding that there have always been two driving forces behind it. On one hand, Professor Toulmin says, it comes from the desire to make theories as elegant as possible, which leads people to ma...
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 ...
Mind and the World (Part One), The
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about Immanuel Kant's views regarding the relationship between the mind and the world. Professor Toulmin explains that it was Kant who originated the idea that our understanding of the world is "...at least as much ...
Does the Mind Shape the World?: Does the Mind Shape the World?
Immanuel Kant, born in 1724 sought to resolve a controversy that had been brewing for over a century. Rationalists argued that knowledge is based on reasoning inside our minds. Empirists disagreed saying that all knowledge must come from the senses....
Empiricism and Rationalism
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the challenge of making a clear distinction between classic rationalists and empiricists. He notes that "there's an awful lot of theorizing to be found in those empiricists, and a lot of concern with experimentati...
The Nature of the Mind
Philosopher Hilary Putnam describes his current view of the mind, stating that we actually see and experience the external world, and not just an internal representation of it.