Empiricism A. The theory that all knowledge is derived from sense experience. Stimulated by the rise of experimental science, it developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, expounded in particular by John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume. B. Empiricism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the role of experience and evidence in the formation of knowledge. C. Weak version: the view that knowledge is best acquired through the senses. Strong: the view that knowledge of existence can only be attained through experience.