all of our ideas came from experience. Can anybody think of ideas that we hold that do not relate to experience?
This is for a school assignment, I have to ask at least two people this question. Thanks anybody for your input.
2007-02-28 02:34:21 · 5 answers · asked by thelogicalferret 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
The idea of God.
The idea of a unicorn.
The idea of nothingness.
The idea of zero.
etc....
2007-02-28 02:56:35 · answer #1 · answered by remy 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
A really good example is Chomsky's universal grammar[1].
Chomsky[2] showed that babies seem to learn languages "way too fast" for the amount of information they have available.
The inevitable conclusion is that all humans share innate knowledge of some basic principles of grammar that is common to all languages.
This knowledge could not have come from experience - as learning concepts like this "from experience" would take WAY longer that it actually takes babies to start speaking a language.
2007-02-28 15:46:15 · answer #2 · answered by hq3 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Inate ideas are instincts. Ducking when some thing passes near your head, jumping when surprised, and just plain breathing.
2007-02-28 12:54:15 · answer #3 · answered by Sophist 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Apart from the physiological instincts, I don't think we have anything innate. It'd be a nice thing, but I'm a pessimistic person. So it's a posteriori all the way.
2007-02-28 11:02:43 · answer #4 · answered by gurlu 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think a baby figuring out that his hand is holding that pacifier that he now can stick in his hand is an innate idea.
Please rethink your thoughts.
2007-02-28 11:06:39 · answer #5 · answered by starryeyed 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋