Innatism

A-posteriori & A-priori distinction

a posteriori reasoning refers to knowledge or conclusions that can only be arrived at after observation or experience. It relies on empirical evidence, induction, and observation. A posteriori reasoning is based on the particular experiences and observations of the world around us. It is dependent on the particularities of those experiences and observations.

A priori reasoning is based on the analysis of concepts and the inherent properties of those concepts. It is independent of any particular experience or observation. A priori reasoning refers to knowledge or conclusions that can be arrived at without any reliance on empirical evidence or observations. It relies on logic, deduction, and innate knowledge or understanding

Plato

Leibniz

Slave boy argument for innatism

Socrates, the main character in the dialogue, asks a young slave boy to draw a square with an area of twice a given square. The boy does not know how to do this, but Socrates guides him through a series of questions and answers that ultimately lead the boy to discover the answer on his own, without being taught it explicitly.

What does it mean?

According to Plato, this experiment proves that the boy must have already possessed the knowledge of geometry, including the principles of proportionality and the Pythagorean theorem, even though he was not aware of it. This knowledge must have been innate, as the boy had never received any formal education in geometry, yet he was able to arrive at the correct answer through his own reasoning

Plato believed that all humans have this innate knowledge, which is not learned through sensory experience but is instead pre-existing within the mind. This argument supports the theory of rationalism, which emphasises the role of reason and intuition in acquiring knowledge.

The marble analogy

Leibniz's Argument from the necessity of truth

P1: The senses only give us particular instances

P2: A collection of instances can never show the necessity of truth

P3: We can grasp and prove many necessary truths

C1: Therefore the necessary truths that we grasp with our mind do not derive from the senses

C2: The mind is the source of these necessary truths

C3: These ideas are known innately

Leibniz imagines a universe filled with an infinite number of marbles.

Each marble represents a monad.

Each monad is unique and has its own properties.

The marbles do not interact with each other physically. Instead, they are all interconnected in a pre-established harmony.

This means that the behavior of each monad is determined by its own internal nature, rather than by external forces.

The monads are constantly changing and evolving, but they are also eternal and indestructible.

According to Leibniz, the universe is like a vast, complex machine made up of these individual monads, all working together in perfect harmony.

This view of the universe is known as Leibniz's Monadology, and it represents one of the most influential theories in the history of philosophy.

The forms

Plato believed that there are two distinct levels of reality: the visible, physical world and the invisible, metaphysical world of Forms. The physical world is characterized by constant change, whereas the world of Forms is eternal and unchanging.

Forms are abstract, universal concepts or ideas that exist independently of any particular physical objects. They are perfect, eternal, and unchanging, and they provide the basis for all knowledge and truth.

Google definition of a monad
monad, (from Greek monas “unit”), an elementary individual substance that reflects the order of the world and from which material properties are derived.