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12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 3. Innate Knowledge / c. Tabula rasa

['blank page' - minds begin with no knowledge]

8 ideas

5051	The intellect has potential to think, like a tablet on which nothing has yet been written [Aristotle]
	Full Idea: The intellect is in a way potentially the object of thought, but nothing in actuality before it thinks, and the potentiality is like that of the tablet on which there is nothing actually written.
	From: Aristotle (De Anima [c.329 BCE], 429b31)
	A reaction: This passage is referred to by Leibniz, and is the origin of the concept of the 'tabula rasa'. Aristotle need not be denying innate ideas, but merely describing the phenomenology of the moment before a train of thought begins.

20803	Stoics say we are born like a blank sheet of paper; the first concepts on it are sensations [Stoic school, by Ps-Plutarch]
	Full Idea: The Stoics say when a human being is born, the leading part of his soul is like a sheet of paper ready for being written on. On this he inscribes every one of his conceptions. The first manner of writing on it is through the senses.
	From: report of Stoic school (fragments/reports [c.200 BCE]) by Pseudo-Plutarch - On the Doctrine of the Philosophers 900a
	A reaction: This may not be dogmatic empiricism, because later inscriptions on the sheet could be purely a priori.

6025	At birth the soul is a blank sheet ready to be written on [Stoic school, by Aetius]
	Full Idea: When a man is born, the Stoics say, he has the commanding-part of his soul like a sheet of paper reading for writing upon; on this he inscribes each one of his conceptions.
	From: report of Stoic school (fragments/reports [c.200 BCE]) by Aetius - fragments/reports 4.11
	A reaction: This appears to be the origin of the concept of the 'tabula rasa', which resurfaces in empirical thought, in Locke and elsewhere. Notice that 'he' inscribes on the paper, rather than raw experience doing the job. The natural light of reason can do it.

6230	If the soul were a tabula rasa, with no innate ideas, there could be no moral goodness or justice [Cudworth]
	Full Idea: The soul is not a mere rasa tabula, a naked and passive thing, with no innate furniture of its own, nor any thing in it, but what was impressed upon it without; for then there could not possibly be any such thing as moral good and evil, just and unjust.
	From: Ralph Cudworth (On Eternal and Immutable Morality [1688], Bk IV Ch 6.4)
	A reaction: He goes on to quote Hobbes saying there is no good in objects themselves. I don't see why we must have an innate moral capacity, provided that we have a capacity to make judgements.

7723	The senses first let in particular ideas, which furnish the empty cabinet [Locke]
	Full Idea: The senses at first let in particular ideas, and furnish the yet empty cabinet.
	From: John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 1.02.15)
	A reaction: A nice image of Locke's famous claim that the mind is a 'tabula rasa' (blank page). The obvious objection is that a totally empty cabinet would not organise or make sense of or respond to the sense experiences that entered it. Kant spelled this out.

7507	The mind is white paper, with no writing, or ideas [Locke]
	Full Idea: Let us suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas.
	From: John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 2.01.02)
	A reaction: This is normally referred to as Locke's 'tabula rasa' idea, and is his denial of the existence of innate ideas. It is generally thought to be absurd, but note that he only 'supposes' it, presumably as a theoretical strategy, to investigate empiricism.

12474	The mind is a blank page, on which only experience can write [Locke]
	Full Idea: Let us then suppose the Mind to be, as we say, white Paper, void of all characters, without any Ideas; How comes it to be furnished? ..To this I answer, in one word, from Experience.
	From: John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 2.01.02)
	A reaction: The simple objection is that minds could make nothing of their experience if they were totally blank. But if we add principles of association, we might still say that there are no actual ideas imprinted in the original mind, only functions or faculties.

12940	What is left of the 'blank page' if you remove the ideas? [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Those who hold forth about the 'blank page' cannot say what is left of it once the ideas have been taken away.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 2.01)
	A reaction: This is a decisive criticism of the total tabula rasa idea, but empiricists responded by developing associationism - that what remains is principles of association for incoming experience. Brain mechanisms, we might say.