Innate Ideas: Plato and the Meno
Philosopher Ian Hacking notes that Plato was fascinated by mathematics, and explains that his theory of innate ideas is based on the simple mathematical proof in his famous Socratic dialogue called the Meno.
Innate Ideas and Mathematical Proof
Philosopher Ian Hacking observes that rationalists were fascinated by the possibility of mathematical proof, while empiricists were not. He notes that there is an enormous difference to this day among philosophers about this same subject. For those ...
Is Reason the Source of Knowledge?: Meno: Platonic Proof of Innate Ideas, The
Plato gives a simple mathematical proof for innate ideas in a dialogue called the Meno. A slave boy, who has had no training in geometry, is asked by Socrates to produce a square double the area of a given square. Socrates will put no thoughts into ...
Is Reason the Source of Knowledge?: Descartes' Corpuscular Theory
Descartes wants to prove that knowledge of the physical world can be acquired through reason, an explanation that eventually relies on the corpuscular or atomistic theory. In this theory, all matter is made of corpuscles, far too small to see, with ...
Is Reason the Source of Knowledge?: Locke and Leibniz Debate Theory of Innate Ideas
The first great 17th century empiricist John Locke borrows many ideas from Descartes. For the most part he accepts the corpuscular theory, but flatly rejects the notion of innate ideas about the world. Gottfried Leibniz concedes that innate ideas ar...
Is Reason the Source of Knowledge?: Theory of Innate Ideas, The
Rationalists believe in innate ideas, ideas that are present in the mind from birth. The concept had a long history beginning with Plato in the 4th century B.C.E. The difficulties and discoveries characteristic of Athens during this period are simil...
Experience and Innate Ideas
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the notion of innate ideas, making reference to such historical figures as Descartes, Leibniz, Locke and Michelangelo. He notes that while experience produces different ideas in people, those ideas are formed on w...