AP PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGYS HISTORY APPROACHES

PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS HISTORY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which philosopher is most well known for theorizing that the mind at birth is tabula rasa or a “blank slate”?
A
Plato
B
John Locke
C
René Descartes
D
Aristotle
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -In Locke’s philosophy, tabula rasa was the theory that at birth the (human) mind is a “blank slate” without rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing are formed solely by one’s sensory experiences.

Detailed explanation-2: -"Blank slate” is a loose translation of the medieval Latin term tabula rasa-literally, “scraped tablet.” It is commonly attributed to the philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), though in fact he used a different metaphor.

Detailed explanation-3: -According to blank slate theory, the mind is completely blank at birth. From there, education, environment, and experiences – which are external, as well as material and/or immaterial – shape the child’s process of development. This leaves a lasting effect on who they become.

Detailed explanation-4: -tabula rasa, (Latin: “scraped tablet”-i.e., “clean slate”) in epistemology (theory of knowledge) and psychology, a supposed condition that empiricists have attributed to the human mind before ideas have been imprinted on it by the reaction of the senses to the external world of objects.

There is 1 question to complete.