Innatism Flashcards
what is the main question that these theories discuss?
What are our sources of knowledge?
What do rationalists claim?
That reason by itself is a source of knowledge.
Give a definition of a priori-
- Justification is independent of experience
- Known with certainty in advance of experience.
- E.g. 2+3=5
Give a definition of a posteriori
-Justification is based on experience.
-Cannot be known with certainty in advance of experience.
E.g. France won the world cup in 2018
What does innatism claim?
We are born with knowledge, this knowledge is usually revealed through reason.
What was Plato trying to reason with? How does he solve this?
-The difference between pure concepts and instances where these concepts can be witnessed imperfectly, e.g. beauty as a concept rather than as an attribute of a person.
He believes that we apprehended these perfect ‘forms’ in their pure state during a prior existence in ‘the realm of the forms’
We have forgotten these forms but they are in us innately
Through reasoning we can achieve a perfect understanding once again.
Plato’s account contains some classic features of innatism.
A Innate ideas are ‘in’ us, although we might no tbe aware of them.
B We can realise these innate ideas through reason.
C Innate ideas provide timeless truths.
Give the ‘meno’ slave boy argument.
P1: The slave boy has no prior knowledge of geometry
P2: Socrates only asks questions; he does not teach the boy about squares.
P3: After the questioning, the slave boy can grasp an eternal truth about squares.
P4: This eternal truth was not derived from the boy’s prior experience, nor from Socrates.
C: This eternal truth must have existed in the boy to begin with.
How can we criticise the slave boy?
Memory or the faculty of reason? Isn’t the slave just using the square to work out the answer through reason? To posit innate knowledge is not necessary to explain how the boy can reason.
What did Leibniz call innate ideas?
‘Principles’
What was Leibniz’s first argument for innatism?
He argues that there are different kinds of truths, some of which are necessary.
E.g. We see the sun rise every day (an instance), from this we make the general truth (via induction) that the sun rises every day. This is revealed by the senses but it not necessary as the sun may not always exist.
On the other hand there is maths, 2+3=5. Our mind sees that this will always be the truth. This necessity cannot be discovered through the senses but by reason which leads L to believe it is innately inside us.
How can we summarise Leibniz’s first argument?
P1: The senses only reveal instances of general truths.
P2: The senses cannot reveal the necessity of general truth.
P3: Our minds can see the necessity of some general truths.
C: Our ability to see the necessity of general truth is not derived from the senses but is based on innate principles.
Give examples of innate ideas.
Mathematics, logical principles like the law of non-contradiction, the concept of identity.
GIve the example of the marble
Leibniz used the example of a block of marble to show the mind at birth. It has ‘veins’ running through it which represent unrealised innate ideas. The marble does not contain the fully formed statue but has the ‘inclination’ to take the shape when struck. In the same way certain ideas will take shape as knowledge when prompted by reason.
Give lockes argument on no universal assent.
P1: Any innate idea, x, if it exists, must be universally held.
P2: Children and idiots do not have an idea of X
P3: If an idea is held in the mind then you must be aware of it.
C1: So X is not universally held.
C2: therefore x is not innate.
