Empiricism is a conceivable and instinctual methodology of knowledge. The most renowned empiricists included John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume (it does not mean that these philosophers agreed with each other, in some cases they had divergent opinions). Empiricist maintains that people can only know something if they can justify it, concerning what they see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. For instance, if one is looking at their right hand, and notices that they have five fingers on that hand; this assumption triggers an individual to believe that their vision is proper, and confers such a high degree of justification on the persons belief, such that one is confident they have five fingers on their right hand. Empiricists argue that such paradigms are examples of knowledge. Human ideas about the world can only be reliable when they can be justified with experiences of different phenomena in the world. Historically, empiricism is linked with the notion that man is born a tabula rasa (blank slate), which implies that any concept and ideology developed by humans were derived from experience. In this article, beliefs that are directly derived from human experiences will be denoted as fundamental empirical beliefs. For example, if a person sees a red cup with tea, this experience will trigger them to believe that the cup is red and inside the cup, there is a substance, and that substance is tea. Such beliefs are fundamental empirical beliefs because they are a direct result of some experiences. Therefore, fundamental empirical beliefs, in ordinary situations are strongly justified beliefs which informs evidence.
Empiricism and the Question of the tree falling in the Forest
The explicit way in which basic empirical beliefs are proven is a still a subject of philosophical debates. Even so, with the discussion from the introduction chapter, it is clear that empirical beliefs can be proven as evidence and primary sources of knowledge. Another concept presented by empiricist that can help in understanding this question is the concept of inferential beliefs. It means that believes can also be informed by what is not directly observed, but one must be able to prove it using empirical beliefs as their source of evidence. For instance, the idea that man evolved from an ape-like creature does not count as a fundamental practical belief. No one has ever seen apes evolving to became human; based on this argument this notion is not a basic practical belief (White 28). However, it is possible for an individual to justify the idea in regards to what they can see in their present statuses such as archaeological evidence, stone age tools, and other paleontological remains. Therefore, empiricists consider the inferential belief that man evolved from an ape-like creature the current empirical evidence. Empiricist claim that such inferential allegations that are to be used for the sake of knowledge and proving the truth ought to be justified by empirical evidence. Empiricists do not acknowledge the many beliefs that cannot be confirmed or are based on falsified empirical evidence. For example, empiricist does not even recognize the most common saying such as are created with equal abilities, because these claims cannot be justified by imperial evidence. Empiricism argues that people can believe such notions because they have been in existence for a long time, the truth is that in reality these claims cannot be proven. Similarly, empiricism rejects various religious beliefs, for example, a claim like God writing the Quran, because it is impossible to see how such views can be justified regarding fundamental empirical beliefs. Empiricism generally refutes any claim that cannot be substantiated.
In respects to the query of “If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Since no one is there to perceive the sound and ascertain that the tree made a sound through the auditory organs of the body then, it means that the tree did not make any sound. Since no one was there to establish empirical evidence on the sound, then it means that the tree cannot be proven to have made any sound and since there is no empirical evidence of the same, then it did not exist. Optionally, if someone makes inferential claims that the sound existed when someone was not there, then they need to establish empirical evidence of the inferential evidence (Fischer 431). For example, the person making the claims that the tree produced a sound, but there was no one to ascertain the sound, should present various evidence that backs up the claim, but since no one can prove that sound once existence in a locality then one cannot ascertain that the tree produced any sound while falling.
As much as empiricism offers a fundamental concept for determining the truth and explaining various phenomenon’s, it leaves multiple questions unanswered. Empiricists derive its tenets from basic empirical beliefs. Thus, an empiricist should clearly explain how people should arrive at the stipulated empirical beliefs and the justifications behind using the primary empirical evidence and why they believe that this evidence is right (Sellars 258). Hence empiricism needs to address the issue of how humans should perceive the world. In other words, experimentation implies that when we hear the sound of a tree falling, one is justified to think that a tree is falling somewhere. Even so, empiricism ought to establish various versions of the following issues; these are; whatever humans perceive as an object (the tree) to have a specific property (a specific sound that is produced when the tree is falling).
John Locke’s Argument
In an article titled An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke tries to unveil more on how he thinks humans should argue and think. According to Locke and his belief on empiricism, a tree tumbling in the jungle, with no individual to perceive it will not produce any sound, since the noise is considered as a minor value and is the only consciousness in the humans’ brain. In his article, Locke argues that as a doctor he depended on examining and assessing his subjects to determine their ailment and commend a proper treatment (Locke 90). Therefore, Locke trusted that this how humans should derive their knowledge. As per the arguments of Locke, everything that gets into the mind of humans should only be informed from only one source, and that is an experience.
Secondly, John Locke outlined an idea as whatever the brain observes in itself, or is the direct object of discernment. Lock perceives that notion in this sense are familiarly tangled in the process of sense insight whereby humans’ smell feel, see and taste the substances within the surrounding, which can lead to the acquisition of knowledge. He later introduces the concept of quality- the power in an object that leads to an idea in the human brain. John Lock established that there are two types of qualities an object, which are primary and secondary qualities. Primary qualities are the features that objects ought to have. These features cannot be separated from the physical object in whatever state. These primary qualities include solidarity, texture, extension, shape, bulk, number and motion (Locke 12). Contrary, secondary qualities are those qualities that are which in the true nature of the objects, they do not define the object, but help in humans to ascribe certain features to the primary features. These qualities include sounds, colors, and tastes (Carnap 31). These features have causal powers that produce some sort of ideologies among humans and represent nothing more than the key qualities of the matters themselves. The discernment of secondary abilities is subject to the standard process of human sensory organs, as a reaction to the dispositional features of things. Therefore, the customary human belief that such facets occur in the environment is not a reification of the idea that is fashioned in the brain by the primary abilities of elements.
In respect to the arguments of John Locke’s argument, the answer to the question of the falling tree would be negative. Locke argues that sound is an inferior value as it is an impression in the cognizance instigated by the quality of an object. Sound exists only in the conscience of humans and not out in the forest or the middle of nowhere.
In case a tree falls, the sound uses a medium, which in this case is air. In the procedure of being transmitted over such mediums, it emits waves. These waves are not sound in themselves, but if the waves hit an auditory organ, then the same waves can cause sounds in mind. It means that the sound in the brain of humans and what is outside in the forest is are wave bars, which can lead to an impression of sound in the intelligence. The sound is typically is a product of the experience in the mind, and not a quality of the tree or nature.
Conclusion
When asked about the existence of the external world, John Locke responded that no one could be skeptical as to be unsure of the existence of the elements that he smells, feels and sees. It is clear that everyone can see trees in a forest, and also there is a possibility that these trees can fall. When a tree falls, we are certain that it creates some sound, even if there is no one to hear this sound. Therefore, the main issue is if the tree that tumbles in the jungle will produce a sound when there is no individual to perceive it. The subject can be reacted entirely by analyzing the theory of empiricism and analyzing the arguments of John Locke especially on the concept of primary and secondary qualities. According to John Locke everything else that is perceived, which does not fall within the framework of primary qualities, are all secondary facets, which do not exist independently but exists because of human sensory systems.
Works Cited
Carnap, Rudolf. "Empiricism, semantics, and ontology." Revue internationale de philosophie (1950): 20-40.
Fischer, Klaus P. "John Locke in the German Enlightenment: An Interpretation." Journal of the History of Ideas 36.3 (1975): 431-446.
Locke, J. "John Locke, and Emergence Empiricism." Learning Theories for Early Years Practice (2018): 12.
Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Raleigh, N.C.: Alex Catalogue, n.d. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Lowe, E. J. Locke on Human Understanding. London and New York: Routledge, 1995. Print.
Sellars, Wilfrid. "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind." Minnesota studies in the philosophy of science 1.19 (1956): 253-329.
