Injin Woo

In the historical narrative of modern philosophy, a prevalent classification categorizes philosophers as empiricists and rationalists. This categorization emerged from 19th-century interpretations of philosophical history. This paper explores the historical development of the empiricism-rationalism dichotomy, examining its limitations and proposing Bas van Fraassen’s concept of the “empirical stance” as an alternative framework for understanding the history of empiricism. Empiricism should not be perceived as an unchanging doctrine but rather as a philosophical stance. Through this reinterpretation, novel insights into the history of modern philosophy can be gained. The discussion is structured as follows: (1) The historical formation of the empiricism- rationalism dichotomy and critiques of this framework, (2) The concept of the empirical stance and its implications for historiography, (3) Potential challenges in applying the stance concept to the history of philosophy, and (4) Proposals for alternative approaches to historiography that transcend the traditional dichotomy.