Descartes' argument that his sensations of objects cannot come from inside him and must be caused by the external world.
Ontological Argument
Descartes' argument that the idea of a supremely perfect being (God) includes the property of existence, therefore God must exist.
Contingency Argument
Descartes' argument that his own existence proves the existence of God, as the cause of his existence must be either himself, his parents, or God.
Trademark Argument
Descartes' argument that the cause of his idea of God must be God Himself, as a perfect being can only cause the idea of a perfect being.
Cogito
Descartes' statement 'I think, therefore I am,' which is a self-evident truth that proves one's existence.
Hume's Fork
Hume's division of human understanding into relationsofideas (revealed by reason) and matters of fact (derived from experience).
Tabula Rasa
Locke's theory that the mind is born as a blank slate and all ideas and concepts are derived from experience.
Argument from the Necessity of Truth
Leibniz's argument that certain truths, such as mathematical truths, are necessary and can only be known through reason, which is based on innate principles.
Leibniz's Innate Ideas
Leibniz's belief that the human mind can gain knowledge through reason, prompted by the senses, and that we have innate ideas or principles revealed by reason.
Plato's Innatism
Plato's belief that we have forgotteninnate ideas, but through reasoning, we can regain a perfectunderstanding.
Innatism
The philosophical claim that we are born with certain knowledge, which can be revealed through reason.
A priori knowledge
Knowledge that is justified independently of experience and can be known with certainty before experiencing it.
A posteriori knowledge
Knowledge that is justified based on experience and cannot be known with certainty before experiencing it.
Rationalism
The philosophical claim that reason, by itself, can be a source of knowledge.
Empiricism
The philosophical claim that our knowledge is primarily derived from experience and evidence obtained through our senses.