Empiricism stressed the importance of sensory experience in knowledge from "summary" of The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb
Empiricism, a philosophical movement that emerged in the 17th century, emphasized the vital role of sensory experience in acquiring knowledge. Proponents of empiricism argued that the foundation of knowledge was derived from our interactions with the world through our senses. This perspective challenged prevailing beliefs that knowledge could be attained through innate ideas or rational deductions alone. The empiricists contended that human beings are born as blank slates, devoid of any innate knowledge. Instead, they maintained that knowledge is acquired through the accumulation of sensory experiences. John Locke, one of the leading figures of empiricism, asserted that the mind at birth is like a blank sheet of paper, or tabula rasa, upon which experiences are imprinted. According to Locke, all our ideas and beliefs are ultimately derived from our observations and interactions with the external ...
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