Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9742611 | Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A | 2005 | 19 Pages |
Abstract
Locke is often interpreted as having attempted to build a foundation for knowledge based on ideas. However, textual evidence shows that the corpuscular philosophy is also a fundamental part of that foundation. Somewhat anachronistically, but also very usefully, Locke (who followed Boyle in this) can be described as inferring corpuscularianism by an inference to the best explanation. Locke felt justified in believing that the corpuscular philosophy was the correct description of the world because it provided us with a better explanation of a wider variety of phenomena than competing hypotheses.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities
Arts and Humanities
History
Authors
Selman Halabi,