Empirical Truths Flashcards
The strength of empirical truth resides in the fact that it is always open to scrutiny, revision and rejection. What we hold to be true is constantly open to being tested, which makes the truths that continuously pass the test more reliable.
A lack of certainty is part of the deal with empirical truth. If we want to know about the world then there is potentially no end of discoveries that might force us to alter our opinions.
David Hume - human reason and inquiry can be naturally divided into two categories: relations of ideas and relations of fact. Relations of ideas concern truths of math, geometry and pure logic. These are truths by definition. They tell us nothing about the real world. Relations of fact, in contrast, cannot be established by pure logic. They can also not be established with 100% certainty.
