Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Ontological Empiricism


    Remember that episode of Family Guy when Peter Griffin made a sarcastic reference about something being as “fun” as a lecture on Ontological Empiricism, and then he was confused?
Well, so was I, and I'm sure your are too. I decided to dabble in a little research on the topic and while ago. Later, I ended up getting a bit more detail from a class I took a year ago as well.

Let me break it down for ya':



Ontology: Something pertaining to being, or existence

Empirical: Of, or relating to the senses. Something that can be experiences through one of the five senses. 

Empiricism: The epistemological study that all knowledge is derived from the senses, tending to lack in rational conclusion. 
Example: The sun, it looks like it rises when in reality, the earth rotates on a tilt, giving the impression that the sun is rising. Though we are seeing it, (it's empirical), it's not true. You can't justify existence and being purely on observation and the senses, because those things change. 

    So when we talk about Ontological Empiricism, what are we inferring? I'll tell you; existence (being) through the senses. Pretty much saying, we only exist (or are aware of it and make sense of it) because we experience it (through touch, taste, smell, etc...), and it kind of falls into the realm of the philosophical movements of Pragmatism, Empiricism, and Existentialism. And although O.E. (Ontological Empiricism for short) has some solid truth, my struggle with it is that it doesn't adhere fully to reason. We all know that stuff exists because we experience it, but experience isn't always objective. People experience and interpret things very differently, which doesn't make for a solid foundation of the nature of our existence and inception. I fail to see it as a true, justified belief, which is composed of real knowledge.  

    Well, that's all I can pull from my head right now, but if you want to know more, or if you feel that I'm missing something, then contact me!

-Mordecai

3 comments:

  1. I fail to see the link between ontological empiricism and existentialism. Just because existentialism (as it is in its current incarnation) avoids mysticism as a means of explanation does not make it so shallow as empiricism. The fundamentals of existentialism are based in meaning and existence. Tell me which sensory organ pertains to that?
    (Not trying to come off as attacking you, but I heard you mention this in our conversations before and I don't quite understand where you're coming from.)

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    1. It relates to Existentialism because they assume responsibility for acts of free will, WITHOUT CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE of right or wrong/good and evil. It lacks that the principle of objectivity and epistemology. They skip the reason. A theoretical energy of Ontology plays a big role in this paradigm. And I'm only using caps to emphasis what I'm saying, I'm not freaking out or anything haha.

      -Mordecai

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  2. means you see the Sun go up in the sun goes down so in reality according to this Theory the sun goes up and the sun goes down same thing with the Moon and you know with its rising and falling. Another example of be like you smell something that smells like s*** you can't see it but it smells like s*** therefore it must be s*** or you smell flowers you can't see any flowers therefore it must be flowers or another more popular example would be you seen flowers they might be fake flowers they might be real flowers but without knowing exactly what they are you just assume their flowers because that's what your senses are telling you. I could be completely wrong on my interpretation of this but to me ontological empiricism means what your senses tell you is what is actually there. It's almost a synonym for Occam's razor. You see a cheeseburger it looks like it's made from beef it tastes like it's made from beef therefore it must be beef although it may be made by synthetic ingredients that don't relate to the cow in any way shape or form with ontological empiricism it is beef because your senses tell you it is beef it looks like beef it taste like beef it smells like beef therefore it is beef.

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