John Locke’s theory of knowledge rejected the theory of innateness and emphasized that there are no innate ideas. He argued that ideas actually come from experiences and reflection of the mind upon those experiences. According to Locke, a human is born with a mind that is a blank slate with no ideas whatsoever. Locke also believed that if innateness is real, it can be overly dangerous and be abused, because these so-called innate ideas can be effectively used to manipulate people.
The proponents of the theory of innateness argue that some ideas or principles are universally accepted as they are because they cannot be challenged. Locke’s reply to this was that these ideas are accepted not because they are innate, but because “once we reflect
The proponents of the theory of innateness argue that some ideas or principles are universally accepted as they are because they cannot be challenged. Locke’s reply to this was that these ideas are accepted not because they are innate, but because “once we reflect