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Single Idea 4045

[filed under theme 6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / c. Counting procedure ]

Full Idea

It has been proposed (on the basis of observations) that young children have three innate principles of counting - one-to-one correspondence of number to item, stable order for numbers, and cardinality (which labels the nth item counted).

Gist of Idea

Children may have three innate principles which enable them to learn to count

Source

Alvin I. Goldman (Phil Applications of Cognitive Science [1993], p.60)

Book Ref

Goldman,Alvin I.: 'Philosophical Applications of Cognitive Science' [Westview 1993], p.60

A Reaction

I like the idea of observed patterns as central (which is the one-to-one principle). But the other two principles are plausible, and show why pure empiricism won't work.

The 16 ideas from Alvin I. Goldman

4047 Gestalt psychology proposes inbuilt proximity, similarity, smoothness and closure principles [Goldman]
4048 Infant brains appear to have inbuilt ontological categories [Goldman]
4049 The way in which colour experiences are evoked is physically odd and unpredictable [Goldman]
4044 Rat behaviour reveals a considerable ability to count [Goldman]
4045 Children may have three innate principles which enable them to learn to count [Goldman]
4043 Elephants can be correctly identified from as few as three primitive shapes [Goldman]
4262 If the only aim was consistent beliefs then new evidence and experiments would be irrelevant [Goldman]
6871 We can't only believe things if we are currently conscious of their justification - there are too many [Goldman]
6872 Internalism must cover Forgotten Evidence, which is no longer retrievable from memory [Goldman]
6873 Coherent justification seems to require retrieving all our beliefs simultaneously [Goldman]
6874 Internal justification needs both mental stability and time to compute coherence [Goldman]
6875 Reliability involves truth, and truth is external [Goldman]
8831 Introspection is really retrospection; my pain is justified by a brief causal history [Goldman]
8829 Justification depends on the reliability of its cause, where reliable processes tend to produce truth [Goldman]
8830 A belief can be justified when the person has forgotten the evidence for it [Goldman]
8832 If justified beliefs are well-formed beliefs, then animals and young children have them [Goldman]