Implications of Locke's Blank Slate

[Jaxb]

John Locke taught that when people are born, their minds are a blank slate. This means that people are born with minds that don't have any built-in mental content. There is no innate knowledge that people are born with. Hence, Locke taught that all knowledge comes from experience. Does Locke's viewpoint conflict with the doctrine of original sin?

[mikewhitney]

I would be interested in a quote form Locke on this concept. Such idea may be within a certain narrow context.
However, my interest here would not particularly be about the support toward a doctrine of original sin.

[Bill the Cat]

Here is the famous passage from An Essay Concerning Human Understanding:

"Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper void of all characters, without any ideas. How comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience" ~ Locke, 1690/1947, bk. II, chap. 1, p.26

[dacristoy]

John Locke taught that when people are born, their minds are a blank slate. This means that people are born with minds that don't have any built-in mental content. There is no innate knowledge that people are born with. Hence, Locke taught that all knowledge comes from experience. Does Locke's viewpoint conflict with the doctrine of original sin?

All children are born with the imprint of instinctive behavior imprinted in their brains. Therefore the concept of babies being born with absolute blank slates does not exist...

[37818]

It would seem by our current understand of a baby's development before birth Locke's blank slate would be wrong.
http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-beh...ize-words-womb

[seer]

John Locke taught that when people are born, their minds are a blank slate. This means that people are born with minds that don't have any built-in mental content. There is no innate knowledge that people are born with. Hence, Locke taught that all knowledge comes from experience. Does Locke's viewpoint conflict with the doctrine of original sin?

Any one who has raised kids knows that they have an innate, and often strong, natural tendency towards selfishness from the get go. You don't have to teach them to misbehave.

[Andius]

John Locke taught that when people are born, their minds are a blank slate. This means that people are born with minds that don't have any built-in mental content. There is no innate knowledge that people are born with. Hence, Locke taught that all knowledge comes from experience. Does Locke's viewpoint conflict with the doctrine of original sin?

Before an elaboration is given, what do you understand by Original Sin?

[Jaxb]

Before an elaboration is given, what do you understand by Original Sin?

The inherited guilt and corrupt nature that we receive from Adam when we are born.

[37818]

The inherited guilt and corrupt nature that we receive from Adam when we are born.

And how is that so?

[seer]

And how is that so?

The corrupt nature yes, the inherited guilt I'm not so sure about.

[37818]

The inherited guilt and corrupt nature that we receive from Adam when we are born.

The corrupt nature yes, the inherited guilt I'm not so sure about.

Again, how is this so?

[seer]

Again, how is this so?

As far as the corrupt nature, I suspect that is because God's Spirit has been kicked out of the human heart. And without the controlling effect of God's indwelling Spirit we tend towards following our animal nature. That is why we need to be "born again." Or regenerated.