Philosophy of Science 2026_2027 – Rationalism, Empiricism & Paradigm Shifts Exam Review

Philosophy of Science 2026_2027
Philosophy
_ Rationalism,
of Science 2026_2027
Empiricism _
& Rationalism,
Paradigm Shifts
Empiricism
Exam Review.pdf
& Paradigm Shifts Exam Review.pdf Page 1




Philosophy of Science 2026/2027 |
Rationalism, Empiricism & Paradigm
Shifts Exam Review




Page 1 of 17 Philosophy of
Page
Science
1 of 17
2026_2027 _ Rationalism, Empiricism & Paradigm Shifts Exam Review

,Philosophy of Science_ Rationalism, Empiricism, and Paradigm Shifts.pdf
Philosophy of Science_ Rationalism, Empiricism, and Paradigm Shifts.pdf Page 2




Rationalism


The view that knowledge is primarily gained through reason, logic, and thinking rather than
experience.


Empiricism


The view that knowledge is primarily gained through observation, experience, and sensory
evidence.


Rationalism in Science


Rationalism is illustrated by using logic and mathematical reasoning to develop theories and
derive predictions from them.




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Philosophy of Science_ Rationalism, Empiricism, and Paradigm Shifts.pdf Page 3




Empiricism in Science


Empiricism is illustrated by observation, experimentation, measurement, and collecting
evidence from the natural world.


Problem with Rationalism


Rationalism alone cannot provide knowledge about what is actually true in the natural world
because reasoning without evidence can lead to false conclusions.




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