more from Bertrand Russell

Single Idea 5357

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 1. Empiricism]

Full Idea

In the search for certainty, it is natural to begin with our present experiences, and in some sense, no doubt, knowledge is to be derived from them.

Gist of Idea

It is natural to begin from experience, and presumably that is the basis of knowledge

Source

Bertrand Russell (Problems of Philosophy [1912], Ch. 1)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'The Problems of Philosophy' [OUP 1995], p.1


A Reaction

Is experience the 'natural' place to begin? It didn't seem to strike Descartes that way. It seems better to say that philosophy begins when we are not quite satisfied with experience, and the natural place to begin is 'dissatisfaction'.