Reason as a source of knowledge assessment.
3 markers
1.What is innatism? [3]
- Innatism is the claim that there is at least some innate knowledge that is in the mind from birth, rather
than from gained experience.
- Innate knowledge is committed to being a priori and is recognized through our reason not through
evidence from sense experience.
- Ideas are innately in us and are realised through discussion and reasoning.
2.What is empiricism? [3]
- The ultimate source of knowledge is sense experience.
- We have no ideas already our starting knowledge base is empty.
3.What is a complex concept? [3]
- A complex concept is one which comes from complex impressions such as a whole room full of items,
this can be broken down into many different components.
- This complex impression causes complex ideas and complex ideas represent complex impressions.
- Complex concepts can be broken down into simple ideas.
4.What is a simple concept? [3]
- A simple concept comes from simple impressions such as a singular colour like orange, this cannot be
broken down into any more components.
- This simple impression causes simple ideas and simple ideas represent simple impressions.
- Simple concepts can create complex ideas
5.What is the distinction between an impression and an idea? [3]
- An impression is clear and vivid whilst ideas are much fainter. Actually feeling a pain is more forceful
and lively than merely thinking about a pain.
- Impressions cause ideas but ideas cannot cause impressions.
, 5 markers
1.Briefly explain Plato’s argument for innate knowledge. [5]
- The senses can only reveal particular instances (usually imperfect examples)
- The mind can grasp an understanding of universal perfect instances (often through a process of
reasoning)
- These concepts must be innate as the concepts are universal and perfect so could not come from the
senses which are contingent and imperfect.
- Therefore we have innate knowledge of truths.
2.Explain one of Locke's arguments against innate knowledge. [5]
- The argument that there is no universal assent.
- People claim that some ideas are held by everyone so they must be innate.
- Locke attacks this idea by saying that children and “idiots” do not possess some allegedly innate
principles such as “whatever is, is” (law of identity)
- If these ideas are not universally held then they cannot be said to be innate
Formally
- Any innate idea x, if it exists, would be universally held
- Children and “idiots” do not have the idea of x
- If an idea is held in the mind you must be aware of it
- So x is not universally held
- Therefore x is not innate
3.Explain the empiricist distinction between simple and complex concepts [5]
- Empiricism is the view that knowledge is acquired through sense experience.
- According to Hume's empiricism, concepts or 'ideas' are formed in the mind from directly perceived
impressions. These concepts are divided into complex ideas, which can be broken down into their
constituent parts and simple ideas, which cannot be broken down any further into more basic concepts.
- A simple idea corresponds to an impression, and we cannot have one of these concepts without having
had an impression of it beforehand. For example, the colour red is a simple idea as it cannot be broken
down further and we cannot conceive of two or more separate ideas that form the concept of the
colour red.
- Whereas complex ideas can be formed from relevant impressions, without having had an experience of
the exact concept. For example, we can have the idea or concept of a red chair without having ever seen
a red chair but having experienced the colour red and seen a chair and combining these two concepts.
3 markers
1.What is innatism? [3]
- Innatism is the claim that there is at least some innate knowledge that is in the mind from birth, rather
than from gained experience.
- Innate knowledge is committed to being a priori and is recognized through our reason not through
evidence from sense experience.
- Ideas are innately in us and are realised through discussion and reasoning.
2.What is empiricism? [3]
- The ultimate source of knowledge is sense experience.
- We have no ideas already our starting knowledge base is empty.
3.What is a complex concept? [3]
- A complex concept is one which comes from complex impressions such as a whole room full of items,
this can be broken down into many different components.
- This complex impression causes complex ideas and complex ideas represent complex impressions.
- Complex concepts can be broken down into simple ideas.
4.What is a simple concept? [3]
- A simple concept comes from simple impressions such as a singular colour like orange, this cannot be
broken down into any more components.
- This simple impression causes simple ideas and simple ideas represent simple impressions.
- Simple concepts can create complex ideas
5.What is the distinction between an impression and an idea? [3]
- An impression is clear and vivid whilst ideas are much fainter. Actually feeling a pain is more forceful
and lively than merely thinking about a pain.
- Impressions cause ideas but ideas cannot cause impressions.
, 5 markers
1.Briefly explain Plato’s argument for innate knowledge. [5]
- The senses can only reveal particular instances (usually imperfect examples)
- The mind can grasp an understanding of universal perfect instances (often through a process of
reasoning)
- These concepts must be innate as the concepts are universal and perfect so could not come from the
senses which are contingent and imperfect.
- Therefore we have innate knowledge of truths.
2.Explain one of Locke's arguments against innate knowledge. [5]
- The argument that there is no universal assent.
- People claim that some ideas are held by everyone so they must be innate.
- Locke attacks this idea by saying that children and “idiots” do not possess some allegedly innate
principles such as “whatever is, is” (law of identity)
- If these ideas are not universally held then they cannot be said to be innate
Formally
- Any innate idea x, if it exists, would be universally held
- Children and “idiots” do not have the idea of x
- If an idea is held in the mind you must be aware of it
- So x is not universally held
- Therefore x is not innate
3.Explain the empiricist distinction between simple and complex concepts [5]
- Empiricism is the view that knowledge is acquired through sense experience.
- According to Hume's empiricism, concepts or 'ideas' are formed in the mind from directly perceived
impressions. These concepts are divided into complex ideas, which can be broken down into their
constituent parts and simple ideas, which cannot be broken down any further into more basic concepts.
- A simple idea corresponds to an impression, and we cannot have one of these concepts without having
had an impression of it beforehand. For example, the colour red is a simple idea as it cannot be broken
down further and we cannot conceive of two or more separate ideas that form the concept of the
colour red.
- Whereas complex ideas can be formed from relevant impressions, without having had an experience of
the exact concept. For example, we can have the idea or concept of a red chair without having ever seen
a red chair but having experienced the colour red and seen a chair and combining these two concepts.
