Tabula Rasa

Abstract

Tabula rasa, means "blank slate" in Latin and originates from the Roman tabula or wax tablet used for notes, which was blanked by heating the wax and then smoothing it, to give a tabula rasa. [1] This equates to the English term, "blank slate" (or more literally, "scraped tablet") that refers to writing on a slate sheet in chalk. Both may be refreshed repeatedly, by melting of the wax or by erasing the chalk. The term also is used as the name of an epistemological theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all of their knowledge comes from experience and perception. Generally, proponents of the tabula rasa thesis favour the "nurture" side of the nature versus nurture debate, when it comes to aspects of one's personality, social and emotional behaviour, and intelligence.