Locke says that two things must be considered to showw innate knowledge
that the knowledge must be universal
That one is conscious of the knowledge
Locke describes innatism as "thoughts imprinted within the soul"
empiricism is the idea that all learning comes from only experience and observations.
Locke argues that knowledge cannot be universal if not everyone displays it; "children and idiots" do not show innate truths such as (in the case of the slave boy) geometry
Innate truths cannot be conscious as from birth new information is discovered(it was not known before). Also, one cannot prove that all children have the understanding of concepts as they cannot prove it
examples of empiriscists
Hume, Locke
Locke's response against innatism
Knowledge cannot be universal if not everyone displays it. "Children and idiots" do not show innate truths(such as geometry in the example of the slave boy)
Innate truths cannot be concious from birth as if new information is "discovered", it was not known before. One cannot prove that children possess the understanding of such knowledge as they cannot prove that they have this understanding.
Locke uses the word idea to cover mental phenomena such as concepts or sensory experience
All concepts are derived from experience
Locke says that all ideas are a result of sensation or reflection. The senses let in the ideas which then allow the mind to formulate concepts
Humes Copy Principle
All concepts come from experience
Concepts are faint copies of impressions
Some concepts are indirectly from experience
If a concept cannot be traced back to experience, then it cannot be a concept
Hume argues that we possess inner impressions(reflection) that read to concepts regarding emotions
Impressions can either be singular or complex
Simple concepts are from singular sensory impressions
Complex concepts can be from complex impressions or made up of multiple simple impressions(through combination or abstraction)
Hume and Locke argue that no concept is more than the putting together of simple concepts
All simple concepts derive from sense impressions
simple concepts are indivisible
"Tabula rasa" is an empiriscist argument that suggests when born your mind is a blank slate
Empiricists reject the idea of innate knowledge as they say everything is known as a result of sensory experience
Locke argues that to consider the concept of innatism, it must first be defined. To him, innate knowledge must be entirely universal and one must be conscious of having this knowledge
If, as Decartes says, the concept of God is universal, then everyone would believe in the same monotheistic religion
Hume suggests that every idea is a copy of a sensory impression rather than from innate wisdom
all concepts, even abstract ones, are from experience as they are indirectly empirical as they are a combination or abstraction of similar concepts.
Criticisms of the Trigger Argument
Babies learn language from the womb as they experience it pre-birth. With no experience, they cannot speak(feral children)
Stimulus and ability enables you to develop these skills
Hume argues that one can deduce perfection from imperfeciton and therefore one can conceive a perfect being
There is no reason for babies to understand concepts past womb experience(warmth and pain)
If knowledge is unconscious, it must still be as a result of sensation or reflection. If neither remembered or new, innatism cannot be suported
Criticisms of Descartes Trademark Argument
The causal adequacy principle is false - the outcome can be greater than the cause(sponge cake)
Lack of universal assent(Locke) - if God exists all would know God
God is a complex concept(Hume) - an amalgamation of other singular concepts
Reasons to reject the existence of Innate knowledge
babies do not display anything that shows they have innate knowledge
The knowledge is not universal - children and idiots do not possess innate knowledge
the concepts of God would be universal and there is no singular religion
Leibniz suggests innate knowledge is unconscious - how can you prove what you know if you do not know that you know it?
empiriscists believe that all synthetic knowledge is a posteriori
What are the two sources of ideas(according to Locke)?
sensation and reflection
the tabula ras thesis claims that there can be nothing in your mind that does not originate from sensation
the inner workings of the mind involve labelling, repitition and memory
"a mild mannered man does not know anger" - Hume
perception forms impressions
impressions are immediate
Locke says that the basic building blocks of thought are simple ideas
simple concepts can be used to construct complex concepts