Empiricism in Geography - 1294 Words

For the purpose of this essay I will critically discuss aspects of empiricism and the empirical method and their use in geography. I will discuss these aspects with close reference to a recommended reading for our course by Ward et al (2007). Empiricism is a philosophical idea that experience, which is based on observation and experimentation, is the only source of knowledge. Empiricism believes that the mind is a blank canvas and all knowledge arrives in the mind through the portals that are the 5 senses. It believes that all that we as a race know about the world is what the world wishes to tell us. Empiricism states that only information garnered using ones senses should be decreed as credible when making a decision An essential†¦show more content†¦One such influential figure was John Locke. Locke believed that from birth human beings are ignorant and all that we know is derived from experience. It was lock who coined the term synonymous with empiricism, ‘tabula ra sa’ which basically means blank slate. The reading from Ward et al (2007) is entitled ‘Living and Working in Urban Class Communities’. It was compiled by Kevin Ward, Collete Fagan, Linda McDowell, Diane Perrins and Kath Ray. All the authors hold esteemed positions in prestigious third level institutes in the United Kingdom, among them the University of Manchester, the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics. This fact alone leads the reader to automatically assume that the reading is a credible piece of work. All but one author are in the geographical field. Collete Fagan is part of a school of Sociology and therefore she brings a social viewpoint to the table. The reading was completed fully in May 2006 making it 6 years old at present. It focuses on an area of Manchester, England called Sharston. Sharston is a smaller district of the larger Manchester region called Wythenshawe. Sharston is predominately what the reading terms a ‘disadvantaged’ area which suffers from social an d economic deprivation. Most of the residents are involved in semi or unskilled work in the local area with low rates of pay. There are also low levels of home ownership in Wythenshawe andShow MoreRelatedThe Age of Enlightenment and Rebellion against Authority Essay1023 Words   |  5 PagesCrusades brought back old Aristotelian learning from the middle east, all this changed. Advances in Geography were made with the introduction of Ptolemaic Geography. More importantly than the rediscovery of ancient geography was the beginning of skepticism in Western Europe. No longer would the Churchs word be taken on faith. The idea that the physical world could be understood through the use of empiricism-analytical thought-was also introduced. Renà © Descartes even began to doubt his own existence untilRead MoreHume Skepticism1111 Words   |  5 Pagesinductive skepticism is daunting for empiricism. 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