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Recommended: Locke's arguments against innate ideas in easy words

An assumption made will state that many individuals have not been exposed to rationalism or empiricism or the arguments that they use to explain their case concerning innate ideas. Philosopher John Locke an empiricist disagreed with the theory of innate ideas and couldn't grasp why rationalist had this belief. Rationalist believed that certain innate ideas were universal human concepts that always existed in the human psyche. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz had an opposing view; he sided with Rationalism and their stance on innate ideas. The essay will discuss why I believe Locke's argument is not successful in arguing against innate ideas and also the view that Immanuel Kant would possibly take. This paper will discuss and analyze Locke's notion of innate ideas and will converse Leibniz and Kant's view in regards to innate ideas.

Empiricism considers that certain innate ideas were not an ingrained idea that humans have deep in they're conscious. Locke denied the rationalist's theory because he wondered what differentiated someone's ideas as innate from something that was learned via experience. The philosopher believed that someone's experiences to be etched on what he called a blank slate (Tabula Rasa). He did not believe that humans could hold information that is yet unlocked because he fundamentally believed that someone must learn or be taught these so-called natural ideas in order for humans to possess them. From a philosophical perspective of Locke, it can be concluded that he believed that morals and faith in God were not innate because it was evident that human's beliefs on these things differed and proved to not be a universal concept.

Rationalists suppose that an innate idea is a universal concept in the sense ...

... middle of paper ...

... be of Leibniz's concept. For example, Kant's external world sides with mathematics and these concepts are not the symbols used to signify those ideas but are from a deeper source. If the idea is correct, Locke is wrong because mathematics comes from an innate source because according to Kant someone's innate ideas are what gives someone the ability to comprehend the information to understand and use in mathematics.

Like what was discussed, John Locke's theory had a well-intended basis but couldn't explain why something such as mathematics was not innate idea. Leibniz's view that opposed Locke had a better argument and sided with the general understanding of mathematics with respect to the physical world. Kant's discussion also provided further proof on why Locke's argument lacked in explaining why the strong association of mathematics and innate theory was false.

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