1. Empiricism Gaining Knowledge from Observation and Experience

2. ReviewingEach Other’s Homework • How does Empiricism explain humans acquiring knowledge? • How does Empiricism compare to Rationalism?

3. Empiricism • It derives from a Greek word ‘empiric’, meaning ‘experience’ • It is an epistemology that developed in reaction to Rationalism, that asserted that knowledge is innate or present in our mind at birth. Many Empiricists believe that our mind is a “tabula rasa”, or blank slate, at birth. • Empiricism teaches that knowledge comes from our interactions with and observations in the natural, physical world.

4. Empiricism Ideas and knowledge develop in our minds as a result of our sensory experiences.

5. Empiricism as aWay of Knowing How we justify or prove knowledge claims • Basic sensory experience • More complicated life experiences • Scientific experiments

6. Empirical Cycle

7. Given the statementIn general, men are better leaders than women.

8. Justification Methods

9. SometimesReason Knowledge and Experience KnowledgeEither Conflict or Ignore Each Other • Does god exist? • Is karma real? • Will Obamacare lead to greater justice? • Does lowering taxes on the rich lead to higher revenue for the government? Clear Reasoning Concrete Observations

10. OftentimesReason Knowledge and Experience KnowledgeWork in Tandem • Clear reasoning, supplemented by lessons from experience • Experiential knowledge, woven together or extended by reason Reason and Logic Experience and Science

11. The Universe Evidence Observation & Logic Bible: Psalm 93:1 "the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” Psalm 104:5 "the Lord set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.” Ecclesiastes 1:5 "And the sun rises and sets and returns to its place" Copernicus Mathematical reasoning Galileo Telescopic observation Today Mounds of scientific data

13. Superclusters Neighboring the Virgo Cluster

14. Empirically speaking, the idea of “the center” of the universe is no longer meaningful.

15. Empiricism and the Public • 20% of U.S. adults believed that the sun revolves around the earth (XX). (2006) • 24% of U.S. adults believed that President Obama definitely or probably was not born in the United States. (2011) • Beliefs about human origins. (1982-2010) (XX) • In the U.S., • Is Global Warming Occurring 2012 (Yes 70%, No 12%) • What Causes Warming 2013 (Human Activity 43%, Natural Causes 39%)

16. Empirical Arguments a. There are 13 students enrolled in HCOM 301-01 in Spring, 2012. b. Bill Clinton was the first president of the United States. c. God is present in all living things. d. Acting with kindness will increase the chances that a person will receive kindness from others. e. Men make better leaders than women. f. The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, and 1.05% other gases. g. In 1531, on a hilltop outside Mexico City, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to farmer Juan Diego. h. The U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has been good for the Iraqi people. i. Some 150,000 to 200,000 years ago, the human species evolved into being from lower life forms.

17. Assignment on 2-18