Innate ideas

Page 1

'Are we born tabula rasa'

Intro

Q can be rephrased to ask whether we have innate ideas

Rationalists like Descartes have tried to prove existence of innate ideas

No conclusive answer but most convincing view is we are born tabula rasa

Para 1

Descartes cogito

Self verifying thought so requires experience

Descartes trademark argument

We know about cause and effect from experience (causal adequacy principle)

Small things can cause big things

Different perceptions of God

Just because something is universal doesnt make it innate

Para 2

Plato's theory of forms

Two people draw similar squares

We can understand perfect concepts by removing the imperfections

Slave boy argument

Socrates is essentially teaching him so it's invalid

Broader argument of universal concepts and senses - also leibniz

We can recognize patterns

Para 3

Leibniz marble analogy

Noam Chomsky's language theory

Evolution so still required experience

Transparency of ideas

Song on the radio analogy

How do we distinguish innate for not innate

Descartes clear and distinct ideas is not clear enough

Conc

Can be proven that all knowledge is derived from experience

Innate ideas distinction is pointless

Strongest proof is universal concepts but they can be derived from shared experiences (no universal assent)

Ockham's razor best explanation is tabula rasa