John Locke s Influence On His Epistemology - 1487 Words

Edwards was born into a family of prominent Congregational ministers in East Windsor, Connecticut in 1703. Edwards was enrolled in Yale University where he read Newton and Locke, and â€Å"he begun to put together his thoughts on natural science (then called â€Å"natural philosophy†), a subject that particularly excited him in his late teen years and one that would remain a lifelong interest. In New York he began a notebook of â€Å"Miscellanies,† in which he placed his thoughts on theology and philosophy. By the end of 1723 he had added three more notebooks: â€Å"Notes on the Apocalypse,† â€Å"Notes on Scripture† and â€Å"The Mind† (Marsden 59). We can say John Locke was a major force of behind this growth of Jonathan Edwards , but only the Locke s influence on his epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophical psychology was profound. Edwards was independent thinker although he seized by the Locke’s ideas, Edwards remained restive always wishing to push beyond Locke and wanting more than Locke gave (Simonson 24). After briefly serving congregations in New York and Bolton, Connecticut, Edwards returned to Yale where he completed his Masters of Arts degree and became senior tutor in 1724. In 1725, the church in Northampton chose Edwards to succeed his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard — the so-called â€Å"pope of the Connecticut valley.† The most notable events of his tenure were the revivals of 1734 and 1740–41, the latter of which came to be known as the Great Awakening. I. Theological:Show MoreRelatedPropelling Rational Thought Over Compelling Empiricism1459 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes and fundamental empiricism of John Locke’s philosophical arguments, in particular their ideas relating to the science of man, his identity and attempt to explain distinctions between the two. As I lay the framework of my argument it is important to understand the precepts that serve as the underpinning for the views considered by Descartes and Locke respectively. Rationalism and empiricism are two modes of thought that have been adopted within epistemology, the branch of philosophy devoted toRead MoreDifferences Between Idealism and Realism3232 Words   |  13 Pagesis that the material things of the world like houses, trees, or animals are not the ultimate reality because they are constantly changing (Annick , 2001). Meaning of Realism Realism in philosophy is a term used for two distinct doctrines of epistemology. In modern philosophy, it is applied to the doctrine that ordinary objects of sense perception, such as tables and chairs, have an existence independent of their being perceived (Encarta, 2009). Oroka (1990) defines realism as philosophical thoughtRead MoreDifferences Between Idealism and Realism3232 Words   |  13 Pagesis that the material things of the world like houses, trees, or animals are not the ultimate reality because they are constantly changing (Annick , 2001). Meaning of Realism Realism in philosophy is a term used for two distinct doctrines of epistemology. In modern philosophy, it is applied to the doctrine that ordinary objects of sense perception, such as tables and chairs, have an existence independent of their being perceived (Encarta, 2009). Oroka (1990) defines realism as philosophical thoughtRead MoreA Brief Biography of Rene Descartes1580 Words   |  6 Pagesknowledge argument; although his notions were not always accepted, he managed to provide valid support. Born in France, Rene Descartes, dubbed The Father of Modern Philosophy was, in a way, a Renaissance man having contributed influence amongst subjects such science, mathematics, psychology, and philosophy. Descartes was the medium of the philosophers before him, Michel de Montaigne and Galileo Galilei. Descartes had sought to marginalize inquiry into skeptical epistemology and human psychology likeRead MoreThe Debate Between Nature And Nurture1828 Words   |  8 Pagesinfluential figures. In conclusion, one will state one s position in regard to the issue. Nature as used in this context refers to the contribution of a person s genetic makeup to the development of his or her psychological traits and behaviors. In essence, it is the totality of what a person is born with, be it one s physical bodily matter or innate ideas. Here we shall first turn to the world of the ancients. Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher in his book entitled The Meno portrayal of SocratesRead MoreDevelopmental Psychology : An Introduction2958 Words   |  12 Pagesovertime (Lerner, Lewin-Bizan, Warren, 2011). Most uniquely, it is a field that looks at change over time and what instigated those changes (Miller, 2011). The discipline itself has two main goals: to describe the behavior at each point in the person s development, and to identify the causal factors involved in producing changes in behavior (Vasta et al. 1998). Developmental psychology as a field has informed many other subfields of psychology as well including educational psychology, child psychopathologyRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 PagesBranches of philosophy The following branches are the main areas of study: †¢ Metaphysics investigates the nature of being and the world. Traditional branches are cosmology and ontology. †¢ Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, and whether knowledge is possible. Among its central concerns has been the challenge posed by skepticism and the relationships between truth, belief, and justification. †¢ Ethics, or moral philosophy, is concerned with questions of howRead MoreEssay on Sexuality/Textuality in Tristram Shandy8792 Words   |  36 PagesRice University Sexuality/Textuality in Tristram Shandy Author(s): Dennis W. Allen Reviewed work(s): Source: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 25, No. 3, Restoration and Eighteenth Century (Summer, 1985), pp. 651-670 Published by: Rice University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/450501 . Accessed: 16/12/2012 06:30 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/termsRead MoreCognitive psychology  . Essay5542 Words   |  23 Pagessubstances).[3]  From that time, major debates ensued through the 19th century regarding whether human thought was solely experiential (empiricism), or included innate knowledge (nativism). Some of those involved in this debate included  George Berkeley  and  John Locke  on the side of empiricism, and  Immanuel Kant  on the side of nativism.[4] With the philosophical debate continuing, the mid to late 18th century was a critical time in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline. Two discoveries thatRead MoreThe Effect of Genetic, Environmental and Cultural Factors on Learning2722 Words   |  11 Pagessound development; but the young human being is looked upon as a piece of wax or a lump of clay which man can mould into what he pleases,† (www. Geocities.com). The origins of learning theory are in an area of philosophy called â€Å"Epistemology,† a field concerned with how we acquire knowledge. Two philosophical traditions emerged from the writings of the ancient Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. These traditions are nativism, (Plato) and empiricism, (Aristotle).