What term best describes Heraclitus due to his belief in knowledge obtained through the senses?

Heraclitus is best characterized as an empiricist because he emphasized the importance of sensory experience and observation in gaining knowledge about the world. Empiricism is a philosophical stance that prioritizes experience and evidence obtained through the senses as the primary source of knowledge. Heraclitus famously stated that "everything flows," reflecting his belief in constant change and the idea that reality is best understood through direct sensory observation rather than through abstract reasoning or rational thought alone.

In contrast, rationalists would argue that reason and innate knowledge are primary to understanding the world, while idealists focus on the mental constructs or ideas as the basis of reality, often dismissing the physical world as secondary. Materialists, on the other hand, concentrate on physical substance and the material aspects of reality but do not primarily define their approach based on sensory experience in the same way Heraclitus does. Thus, the designation of Heraclitus as an empiricist aligns closely with his views on knowledge acquisition.