Philosophy Tabula rasa

in western philosophy, concept of tabula rasa can traced writings of aristotle writes in treatise Περί Ψυχῆς (de anima or on soul) of unscribed tablet. in 1 of more well-known passages of treatise writes that:

haven t disposed of difficulty interaction involving common element, when said mind in sense potentially whatever thinkable, though nothing until has thought? thinks must in characters may said on writing-tablet on yet nothing stands written: happens mind.

this idea further developed in ancient greek philosophy stoic school. stoic epistemology emphasizes mind starts blank, acquires knowledge outside world impressed upon it. doxographer aetius summarizes view when man born, stoics say, has commanding part of soul sheet of paper ready writing upon. diogenes laërtius attributes similar belief stoic zeno of citium when writes in lives , opinions of eminent philosophers that:

perception, again, impression produced on mind, name being appropriately borrowed impressions on wax made seal; , perception divide into, comprehensible , incomprehensible: comprehensible, call criterion of facts, , produced real object, , is, therefore, @ same time conformable object; incomprehensible, has no relation real object, or else, if has such relation, not correspond it, being vague , indistinct representation.

in eleventh century, theory of tabula rasa developed more persian philosopher avicenna (ibn sina in arabic). argued ...human intellect @ birth resembled tabula rasa, pure potentiality actualized through education , comes know, , knowledge attained through ...empirical familiarity objects in world 1 abstracts universal concepts, develops through ...syllogistic method of reasoning; observations lead propositional statements, when compounded lead further abstract concepts. further argued intellect ...possesses levels of development static/material intellect (al-‘aql al-hayulani), potentiality can acquire knowledge active intellect (al-‘aql al-fa‘il), state of human intellect @ conjunction perfect source of knowledge.

in twelfth century, andalusian-islamic philosopher , novelist, ibn tufail, known abubacer or ebn tophail in west, demonstrated theory of tabula rasa thought experiment through arabic philosophical novel, hayy ibn yaqzan, in depicted development of mind of feral child tabula rasa of adult, in complete isolation society on desert island, through experience alone. latin translation of philosophical novel, entitled philosophus autodidactus, published edward pococke younger in 1671, had influence on john locke s formulation of tabula rasa in essay concerning human understanding.

female figure (sibyl tabula rasa) diego velázquez, c. 1648

in thirteenth century, st. thomas aquinas brought aristotelian , avicennian notions forefront of christian thought. these notions sharply contrasted held platonic notions of human mind entity preexisted somewhere in heavens, before being sent down join body here on earth (see plato s phaedo , apology, others). st. bonaventure (also thirteenth century) 1 of fiercest intellectual opponents of aquinas, offering of strongest arguments toward platonic idea of mind.

the writings of avicenna, ibn tufail, , aquinas on tabula rasa theory stood unprogressed , untested several centuries. example, late medieval english jurist sir john fortescue, in work in praise of laws of england (chapter vi), takes granted notion of tabula rasa, stressing basis of need education of young in general, , of young princes specifically. therefore, prince, whilst young , mind clean slate, impress on these things, lest in future impressed more pleasurably images of lesser worth. (his igitur, princeps, dum adolescens es, et anima tua velut tabula rasa, depinge eam, ne in futurum ipsa figuris minoris frugi delectabilius depingatur.)

the modern idea of theory, however, attributed john locke s expression of idea in essay concerning human understanding (he uses term white paper in book ii, chap. i, 2). in locke s philosophy, tabula rasa theory @ birth (human) mind blank slate without rules processing data, , data added , rules processing formed solely 1 s sensory experiences. notion central lockean empiricism. understood locke, tabula rasa meant mind of individual born blank, , emphasized freedom of individuals author own soul. individuals free define content of character—but basic identity member of human species cannot altered. presumption of free, self-authored mind combined immutable human nature leads lockean doctrine of natural rights. locke s idea of tabula rasa compared thomas hobbes s viewpoint of human nature, in humans endowed inherent mental content—particularly selfishness.

the eighteenth-century swiss philosopher jean-jacques rousseau used tabula rasa support argument warfare advent of society , agriculture, rather occurs human state of nature. since tabula rasa states humans born blank-slate , rousseau uses suggest humans must learn warfare.

tabula rasa features in sigmund freud s psychoanalysis. freud depicted personality traits being formed family dynamics (see oedipus complex). freud s theories imply humans lack free will, genetic influences on human personality minimal. in freudian psychoanalysis, 1 largely determined 1 s upbringing.

the tabula rasa concept became popular in social sciences during twentieth century. ideas of eugenics posited human intelligence correlated social class, these ideas rejected, , idea genes (or blood ) determined person s character became regarded racist. 1970s, scientists such john money had come see gender identity socially constructed, rather rooted in genetics.