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:: COMPARE ::

Tabula rasavsNativism

The short answer

Nativism holds that some knowledge or structure is present before experience. Locke's target was the innatists of his own day, arguing against inborn principles; the modern nativist case rests on developmental and linguistic evidence he had no access to.

Side by side

AspectTabula rasaNativism
At birthNo contentSome structure
DeniesInnate ideasPure empiricism
FacultiesPresentPresent
Evidence baseArgumentDevelopment, language

Which one you meant

Readers who land here meaning Tabula Rasa rather than Nativism are usually searching for phrases like “did locke say tabula rasa”, “what does tabula rasa mean”, “blank slate theory origin”.

Tabula Rasa

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  • what does tabula rasa mean
  • blank slate theory origin
  • are we born blank

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