 | Experimental philosophy: Encyclopedia II - Experimental philosophy - History
Experimental philosophy - History
Experimental philosophy is a name which refers to the protoscientific studies in chemistry conducted by Greek, Roman, and Byzantine scholars in the time period between approximately 500 BC and 400 AD. It is characterized by its similarity to medieval alchemy and its focus on the mystic significance of the results of chemical experimentation. Most experimental philosophers attempted to gain some understanding of the spiritual or divine worlds through their experiments. Experimental philosophy began to be replaced by the practice of alchemy around 500 AD.
In the 18th century experimental philosophy was used as a method by David Hume to achieve his significant developments in the understanding of Human Nature, including senses, impressions, ideas, imagination, passions, morality, justice, to the point where human society as a whole could be explained through this experimental philosophy. This method was used to formulate the 'science of man,' or the 'science of human nature' in 'A Treatise of Human Nature' (1739). The science of man first established that all ideas were founded on impressions that had been formed by the senses, presently or in the past. The passions were part of human nature and they ruled over our reason in determining what actions we would make. Morality, therefore, was based on necessary actions (those which we would certainly make as a reaction to circumstances) and was therefore natural. However, morality was founded on self interest, which includes the pleasure we find in sensing the pleasure in others. This occurs due to sympathy. David Hume discusses sympathy as a passion that causes us to feel for other humans because of their similarity to us. Our mind, which associates similar things through thought processes, will lead us to relate qualities from one object to another similar object. This includes our tendency to feel, to some degree, emotions that we observe in other humans. This leads to the rules of justice, which man has naturally been inclined to develop over time in order to maximize our pleasure, both personally and the pleasure we fell from other people though sympathy. Given the tendency of self interest to overpower the pleasure felt through sympathy, the eventual accumulation of wealth necessitated the development of some form of government, initially somewhat monarchical, to ensure that the rules of justice were followed. Hume bases his further discussions of humans as individuals and in society in 'A Treatise of Human Nature' on the initial premises set by his 'science of man.'
This and later works would have influence on the discussion of cause and effect, and moral sentiments by philosophers such as Adam Smith, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Emmanuel Kant, significantly changing the development of western philosophy.
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
