Epistemology WebQuest​ ​Answers __ / 22 Discussion __ / 10 Total ___/32

Name​: ________________________________

Today, we’re going to continue to practice our independent reading as a way to gain
Knowledge​. Or are we gaining knowledge? Can we trust our senses? Or should we
trust our intellect?

You will be reading through the first section of the the ​Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy​ ​entry on ​Rationalism vs ​Empiricism​. As you are doing this, you will be
answering the following questions. You have the first half of the class to complete these.
Once, 40 minutes have passed, you will switch your sheet with a partner, and we will
mark these as a class. ​In addition to the marks from this assignment, you will also
be graded out of 10 for participation in this class discussion.

1) The dispute between rationalism and empiricism takes place within epistemology, the
branch of philosophy devoted to studying the nature, sources and limits of knowledge. The
defining questions of epistemology include the following: ​ ​/3

a) ______________________________________________________________________________
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b) ______________________________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________________________

2) The disagreement between rationalists and empiricists primarily concerns which

of these questions? ​ ​/1

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3) To be a rationalist is to adopt at least one of three claims;

a) The Intuition/Deduction Thesis:​ /1
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 i) How does the Article describe this Thesis using the numbers 2 and 3? /2
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b) The Innate Knowledge Thesis​: /1

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i) What are two ways that rationalists argue that we have inherent knowledge? /2
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c) The Innate Concept Thesis:​ /1

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i) Explain this Thesis using Perfect Triangle and Pain /2

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4) What is ​A Priori ​Knowledge? /1

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5) To be an empiricist is to adopt the following claim;

a) The Empiricism Thesis​: /1
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 ​ hat is
6) According to Empiricists, the only form of Knowledge if ​a posteriori. W
this? /1
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7) Can Philosophers be both Rationalists, and Empiricists at the same time? Why
or Why not? /2
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8) Mathematics are most related to the ______________________ philosophy /1

9) Science are most related to the ______________________ philosophy /1