LessonsArguments of the Sophists: Immediate Knowledge, Inference and RepliesQuiz

الْمُجَرَّبَاتُ
Judgments acquired through repeated experience.

The historical example concerns the purgative effect attributed to a medicinal substance. The purpose here is not to recommend treatment but to illustrate how repeated observation can support a judgment about an object's customary effect.

Repetition alone is not a magic guarantee of certainty. One must consider whether observations were comparable, whether another cause could explain the outcome, and how far the conclusion may reasonably be generalized.

“I observed an effect once” is a report of one event. “Under relevant conditions this cause regularly produces that effect” is a broader experiential claim and requires stronger justification. That difference matters when assessing the force of empirical knowledge.

Opening interactive controls...

Experiential judgments and repeated observation

Arguments of the Sophists: Immediate Knowledge, Inference and Replies

الْمُجَرَّبَاتُ
Judgments acquired through repeated experience.

The historical example concerns the purgative effect attributed to a medicinal substance. The purpose here is not to recommend treatment but to illustrate how repeated observation can support a judgment about an object's customary effect.

Repetition alone is not a magic guarantee of certainty. One must consider whether observations were comparable, whether another cause could explain the outcome, and how far the conclusion may reasonably be generalized.

“I observed an effect once” is a report of one event. “Under relevant conditions this cause regularly produces that effect” is a broader experiential claim and requires stronger justification. That difference matters when assessing the force of empirical knowledge.