Innatism

Definition

Innatism is a philosophical doctrine introduced by Plato in the socratic dialogue Meno [1] which holds that the mind is born with ideas/knowledge, and that therefore the mind is not a tabula rasa at birth. It asserts therefore that not all knowledge is obtained from experience and the senses. Innatism is the opposite of empiricism[2]. Innatism was introduced by Plato who claimed that we are born with ideas/forms in our mind that are in a dormant state and we need to be reminded of them through proper education and experience. We have acquired these ideas, according to Plato, when prior to our birth we existed as souls in the world of Forms.

A theory that human beings are born with some basic knowledge about languages in general that makes it possible to learn the specific language of the environment.

The philosophy of innatism is sometimes divided into two areas:

Knowledge innatism - this doctrine asserts that humans have access to knowledge that is possessed innately. Idea innatism - also known as concept innatism, this doctrine asserts that humans have access to certain inborn ideas.

Sources

Wikipedia

Meno- Internet Classic Archives