That sounds like you're saying something like this:
"I believe empiricism is true because empiricism seems to be true."
We strive to live our lives based on reason, so we should look for ways to understand the world that go beyond a circular argument.
Such lines of thinking exist. They have been well argued and debated and have much going for them. Plenty of places to start learning about them, but maybe start with Aristotle.
I don't think we do. Reason is a means to an end, not a goal in itself.
> so we should look for ways to understand the world that go beyond a circular argument.
I don't see it as circular, but even if it were, my point is it's impossible to do better: all of us accept everyday common sense before we can even begin to argue technical philosophy, and if we're willing to set it aside then there are infinitely many self-consistent things we could think and no reason to prefer one over another. So no amount of sophistry will ever get you away from having to believe in everyday common sense.
> Such lines of thinking exist. They have been well argued and debated and have much going for them. Plenty of places to start learning about them, but maybe start with Aristotle.
Please. You're dismissing rather than engaging. If you're not willing to actually contribute to the discussion then don't post at all.
I'm sorry you thought I was being dismissive. I felt I had reached the limit of my own pursuasiveness on the question and wanted to point you to somewhere better than me.
One final point I will try to make is that in thinking about how we know things, there's no suggestion that we need to set aside common sense. It's about starting with common sense and then seeing what we can add to it.
"I believe empiricism is true because empiricism seems to be true."
We strive to live our lives based on reason, so we should look for ways to understand the world that go beyond a circular argument.
Such lines of thinking exist. They have been well argued and debated and have much going for them. Plenty of places to start learning about them, but maybe start with Aristotle.