The sources of knowledge

• Reason (rationalism)—the relation between words and ideas (mathematics plus self-evident truths). No solid claims about the real world. (Descartes; 1596–1650)

• Sensory experience (empiricism)—how things appear to us. External information. (David Hume; 1711–1776)

• Combination of data and concepts (Kant; 1724–1804). Precursor to the scientific method?

• The scientific method (combination of data and reason). The most powerful and successful source of knowledge yet devised. Can be traced back to Descartes (400 years ago).

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