ABSTRACT
"Adequate evidence" is an epistemic term—a term people use in appraising the epistemic, or cognitive, worth of statements, hypotheses, and beliefs. Empiricism, as an epistemological thesis, may now be defined by reference to this "appearing" criterion of evidence and to the logic of probability, or confirmation. The limitation of empiricism, as defined, is that it would seem to lead people to what Hume called "scepticism with regard to the senses." For it is very difficult to think of any proposition about the "external world" which is probable—more probable than not—in relation to any set of propositions about the way in which one is appeared to. For the hypotheses and propositions for which most of people have adequate evidence, if this theory is correct, indicate that most of our "takings" are true—that most of our "takings" are perceivings. The apparent paradox involved in saying that our false "takings"— our mistakes— are a mark of evidence has its analogue in moral philosophy.
