Tabula rasa
Tabula rasa, a Latin term meaning "blank slate," is a philosophical and psychological concept suggesting that individuals are born without inherent knowledge and that their minds are like clean slates ready to be filled with experiences and learning. This idea posits that children can be shaped by their environment and the information they receive, allowing them to develop in various ways based on external influences. The concept has its roots in ancient philosophy, notably proposed by Aristotle, who theorized that all learning comes from experiences outside the mind.
The notion gained prominence in the 17th century through the works of John Locke, who argued that humans are born devoid of any innate knowledge and that all understanding is derived from sensory experiences. Later, psychologists like B. F. Skinner expanded on this idea, suggesting that behavior can be conditioned and shaped entirely through external stimuli. Tabula rasa has implications in contemporary discussions regarding the nature versus nurture debate, focusing on the extent to which biology or environment influences human behavior and development. While the theory has been largely critiqued and dismissed in modern psychology, it continues to provoke discussions about the formation of beliefs, behaviors, and the impact of media on society.
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Tabula rasa
Tabula rasa is a term in philosophy and psychology associated with the idea that all humans are born with minds that are "blank slates" with no inherent knowledge. According to the theory of tabula rasa, children can be conditioned to grow up to become anything simply from the knowledge that is provided to them. The theory was popular in the seventeenth century but has largely been dismissed in contemporary times.
Overview
The term tabula rasa comes from the Latin words tabula, or "table," and rasa, a form of the verb radere, meaning "to scrape away or erase." The term originally referred to Roman writing tablets that had a layer of wax into which text was scratched; melting and smoothing the wax wiped it clean. The phrase has since come to mean "blank slate."
The concept was first proposed by Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE) in the fourth century BCE. Aristotle suggested that children were born with minds like blank slates on which any sort of learning could be "written." In other words, he theorized that all learning comes from outside the human mind. Aristotle discussed this concept of pinakis agraphos, or "unwritten tablet," in his work De Anima (On the Soul), which he wrote about 350 BCE.
The idea of tabula rasa is most often associated with English physician and philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). Locke promoted a theory that all humans are born with completely blank minds and have absolutely no inherent, or inborn, knowledge. He first put forth this idea in his work An Essay Concerning Human Understanding(1690). Locke theorized that all learning comes from experiences with the external world. He acknowledged that children could have certain personality traits and inclinations toward certain preferences but believed that they have no knowledge to go with them.
Although the idea of tabula rasa is most closely associated with Aristotle and Locke, others adopted similar concepts over the years. These included a number of nineteenth- and twentieth-century psychologists, including American B. F. Skinner (1904–1990). Skinner believed that children are born with no preconceived ideas about anything and can be completely shaped and trained through conditioning. His theory led to an educational method known as instructivism.
The concept of tabula rasa is behind the idea that people's experiences cause them to behave in certain ways and that eliminating exposure to certain experiences can prevent negative behaviors. For example, the idea that exposure to violent television shows, movies, and video games causes violent behavior or that pornography causes people to becomes sexual predators has led some to suggest banning or curtailing these media. This is an application of tabula rasa and Skinner's belief that people can be conditioned to learn anything, including certain negative behaviors.
Tabula rasa raises the issue of nature versus nurture. It promotes debate over whether biology or environment plays a greater role in how people learn and develop. Most experts now believe that people develop through a mix of inherent traits and what they learn through experience.
Bibliography
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Gianoutsos, Jamie. "Locke and Rousseau: Early Childhood Education." The Pulse, www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=37670. Accessed 22 May 2017.
"Introduction to Philosophy and Romanticism." Purdue University, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/eng241/philrom.html. Accessed 22 May 2017.
"John Locke: British Empiricism." Cabrillo College, www.cabrillo.edu/~cclose/docs/Locke.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2017.
"John Locke." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 24 Apr. 2017, plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/. Accessed 22 May 2017.
Qureshi, Elena. "Models of Learners." University of Windsor, 2004, web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/edfac/morton/models‗of‗learners.htm. Accessed 22 May 2017.
Saad, Gad. "The Mind as a Blank State: Hopeful but Wrong." Psychology Today, 15 Oct. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/201210/the-mind-blank-slate-hopeful-wrong. Accessed 22 May 2017.
"Tabula Rasa vs. Innatism." Penn State University, sites.psu.edu/psych256sp16/2016/01/31/tabula-rasa-versus-innatism/. Accessed 22 May 2017.