Analysis Of Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa meaning “blank slate” in Latin, refers to the epistemological theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all of our knowledge comes from experience, perception and reflection. The Blank Slate theory asserts that thoughts are formed first through exposure to different sensations followed by reflection on the experience. Simple things, such as colors and shapes, are gathered passively, while more complex ideas, such as the relationship between cause and effect and individual identities, are actively contributed. Tabula Rasa is a promising theory in epistemology, Locke’s arguments presented in “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” in collaboration with the views of educationalists, empiricism, the nature vs. nurture theory, 20th century debates, and the upbringing of feral children present strong support for the accuracy of this concept.

The opposing argument to the Blank Slate theory is referred to as Innatism. Innatism credits the human mind with certain inborn or pre-programmed content, content that the mind comes equipped with prior to and independently of experience. Some examples of this innate content include emotions and linguistic understanding. It asserts therefore that not all knowledge is obtained from experience and the senses. This belief, put forth most notably by Plato in his Theory of Forms and later by Descartes in his Meditations. Socrates in the “Meno” appears to hold a slightly different version of Innatism. In addition to believing that all knowledge is innate, thus making a person’s latent body of knowledge at any time in their life, implicit or explicit, all the knowledge they will ever gain in that life, he also appears to hold that the reason they’re innate is b...

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...ples provide compelling evidence for the theory of Tabula Rasa. In every example, these children were morphed by their experiences and perceptions into animal-like beings.

“Let us suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper void of all characters, without any ideas. How comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from EXPERIENCE.” Locke sums up the concept of the Tabula Rasa theory and his beliefs in “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”. This publication in conjunction with the beliefs of empiricists, educationalism, the nature vs. nurture theory, 20th century revised arguments and real-life feral children strongly justify the acceptance of the blank slate theory.