英美概况_Chapter1,Philosophyofwesterncivilization介绍.ppt

John Locke (1632-1740) the modern father of Empiricism John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704) was a British philosopher, Oxford academic and medical researcher, whose association with Anthony Ashley Cooper (later the First Earl of Shaftesbury) led him to become successively a government official charged with collecting information about trade and colonies, economic writer, opposition political activist, and finally a revolutionary whose cause ultimately triumphed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Much of Lockes work is characterized by opposition to authoritarianism. This opposition is both on the level of the individual person and on the level of institutions such as government and church. For the individual, Locke wants each of us to use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition. He wants us to proportion assent to propositions to the evidence for them. On the level of institutions it becomes important to distinguish the legitimate from the illegitimate functions of institutions and to make the corresponding distinction for the uses of force by these institutions. The positive side of Lockes anti-authoritarianism is that he believes that using reason to try to grasp the truth, and determining the legitimate functions of institutions will optimize human flourishing for the individual and society both in respect to its material and spiritual welfare. This in turn, amounts to following natural law and the fulfillment of the divine purpose for humanity. David Hume(1711-1776) British philosopher and historian who argued that human knowledge arises only from sense experience. His works include A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-1740) and Political Discourses (1752). 休姆，戴维1711-1776英国哲学家和历史学家，他认为人类认识的唯一来源是感觉经验。他的作品包括 人性论(1739-1740年）和 政治论(1752年） His ideas: the laws of nature are what we expect, rather than what is reasonable. George Berkeley (1685-1753) Knowledge is based on experience, and material obje