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John Locke's Arguments Against Innate Knowledge

243 Words1 Pages
Locke disagrees with the theory that human beings are born knowing certain things. His stance takes two basic forms. He states that are minds process “external” and “internal experiences. He further states that says these experiences are either part of the passive mind; the simple ideas that come from our senses and perceptions, or it can be about the active mind; complex ideas that are formed by combining simple ones. (Miller, p. 215)
The main thrust of Locke's criticism against innate knowledge is against the possibility of innate theoretical principles. Locke's argument against innate knowledge makes it difficult to say that if, in fact, there are any innate principles, then everyone would assent to them. There cannot be innate principles,
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