Summary Empirical knowledge means knowledge gained through observation. Hume pointed out that induction is logically untenable. Plotkin pointed out that induction is evident throughout the biological world and is highly successful.
Empirical knowledge is logically impossible but utterly necessary for existence.
The essence of scholarship is skepticism. To engage in research is to utilize public and private resources to formulate and assess knowledge claims. Anyone wishing to make any knowledge claim about the world has no choice but to navigate the treacherous path between false positive and false negative errors. Philosophy of Methodology Ideas about the world can originate from any source. Intuition and imagination are essential in the pursuit of scholarship.