Friday, March 28, 2008
innate ideas - john locke
Locke considers innate ideas in three phases. First, he draws us to thinking of developing children. Developing children clearly come into world without any prior ideas since much of their ideas are only of things they actually experienced. Second, he brings up ideas such as "existence" and "identity." He feels these ideas are the least likely to be innate since they are confusing and unclear.Locke feels that if we were in fact born with these ideas then we would be more clear on what they meant without tryingto figure out their meaning as much as we do. Third, he discusses the idea of God. This idea is probably the most likely to be innate. However, even the idea of God is not innate since many cultures do not believe in any God.
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2 comments:
I agree with these phases on innate ideas. Children do not have the capacity to understand complex ideas or even the idea of God. We have to teach them and let them experience the world in order for them to develop their own ideas. As for existence and identity, I am little confused. Existence I do not understand how it can be looked at as either innate or not but identity is clearly not innate. You develop an identity as you grow up throw experience, your environment, etc.
when talking about children and idiots he makes a point supporting he claim that there are no innate ideas. Locke says nothing can be learned or put in your mind with out you knowing it is happening. if you can't learn anything with out learning it than there can't possibly be any innate ideas.
jimmy
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