A tabula rasa, at birth. The Greek philosopher Aristotle
A tabula rasa, at birth. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (fourth century B.C.E.) was probably the first to introduce the tabula rasa (blank slate) idea. According to the tabula rasa theory, an infant's brain is empty of mental content, which will be acquired later with experience and perception. Although the 'tools' or the brain cells are already formed at birth, only after gaining experience will we see the
generation of neurons' inter-connections. As Aristotle and subsequent supporters of his theory were not privy to recent genetic discoveries, the tabula rasa theory may not be applicable or accepted as a deterministic valid concept. Today it is believed that a child's cerebral cortex is pre-programmed to enable the processing of sensory input, emotions and environmental stimulations. The author does not support the tabula-rasa theory and he believes that there are genetically transferred data or imprints.
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