Are Innate Ideas Backed by Science?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of innate ideas and whether they can be scientifically proven. Participants explore the definitions of innate ideas, the implications of such ideas being innate versus learned, and the potential for scientific experimentation to validate these concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the vagueness of the term "innate ideas" and suggests that a more specific claim is necessary for scientific testing.
  • Another participant asks for a description of a scientific experiment that could demonstrate an idea as innate rather than learned from the environment.
  • A different participant defines "innate" as being born with certain reflexes and questions whether abstract ideas, such as geometric shapes, can also be considered innate.
  • This participant proposes the idea of conducting experiments with infants, such as showing images and recording their reactions, to explore the presence of innate ideas.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the definition of innate ideas or the feasibility of proving them scientifically. Multiple competing views remain regarding the nature of innate ideas and the methods to investigate them.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in defining "innate ideas" and the challenges in designing experiments that could effectively differentiate between innate and learned concepts.

C. Bernard
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Are innate ideas scientificaly proven?
 
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The question is too vague -- what you mean by 'innate ideas' needs further specification -- presumably, you mean to question whether the innateness is 'scientifically proven', and not to question whether those ideas which are by some imputed to be innate, are themselves 'scientifically proven'.

Some behaviors evidently require ideation, and some of those have been shown to not require post-natal learning, but that's a fairly narrowly-focused remark.

Perhaps if you try to formulate some claim that's specific enough to be testable, you can find out about how similar ideas have fared when subjected to scientific method.
 
Last edited:
Can you describe a scientific experiment that can prove an idea innate, not learned from the environment?
 
Innate meaning, i think, born with: we are born with certain reflexes.
The question is are we born with certain abstract ideas rigth or wrong such as, but not necessarely that one, geometric shapes.
An experiment to prove an innate idea? That was my question: has it been attempted? Succesfuly?
One can imagine showing images to babies as soon as they can see and recording their reaction etc...
 

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