Experimental Philosophy and the Straw Man Problem
Peter Anstey writes … One common objection against the experimental–speculative distinction (ESD) as an alternative historiographical framework for understanding early modern philosophy is the Straw...
View ArticleDefending the Scholastics
One of the features of Early Modern Experimental Philosophy was the rejection of the ‘old ways,’ the Scholastic system of philosophy in particular. We have shown in this blog ample evidence of the...
View ArticleTeaching Moral Philosophy: Bentham and the Speculative Method
Juan Gomez writes… In my last post I commented on a text by Edward Bentham that defended the use if the syllogistic in logic, in particular for education. Following Peter Anstey’s interesting posts on...
View ArticleTracking Terms in the Encyclopædia Britannica: Part II
Juan Gomez writes… In my previous post I explored the use of the terms ‘experimental philosophy’ and ’empiricism’ in the Encyclopædia Britannica. Today I will look at the terms ‘speculative’ and...
View ArticleElectricity: A Speculative Newtonian Experimental Science?
Kirsten Walsh writes… In his book, Franklin and Newton, I. Bernard Cohen described Franklin’s work on electricity as an example of “Speculative Newtonian Experimental Science”. The central thesis of...
View ArticleFeijoo and his ‘Magisterio de la experiencia’ (lessons of experience), Part II
In my previous post I introduced a text by the Spanish priest Beníto Jerónimo Feijoo. We saw Feijoo giving his picture of the history of philosophy by telling a story of two ladies, Solidína...
View ArticleMargaret Cavendish: speculative philosopher
Peter Anstey writes … Two years ago on this blog I addressed the ‘Straw Man Problem‘ for the distinction between experimental and speculative philosophy. The apparent problem, according to some critics...
View ArticleAstrology and the novatores
Juan Gomez writes… In one of my previous posts regarding early modern Spain I referred to Martin Martinez, a physician who was an avid promoter of the experimental method. Today I want to examine a...
View ArticleThe Experimental-Speculative debate in early modern Spain 3
Juan Gomez writes… It has been a while since my previous post, so I will begin by recapping my series on early modern Spain up to the point where we left off. This series focuses on an interesting...
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