Tabula Rasa

 Tabula Rasa

By Janpha Thadphoothon

I first heard the term Tabula Rasa when I was a postgraduate student in Canberra, Australia. Back then, I was exploring ways to develop Thai students' critical thinking skills along with their English language proficiency. Both remain daunting challenges for Thai people even today. It is well known that fostering critical thinking is not an easy task, and integrating it with language learning makes it even more complex. Nevertheless, it is my belief that these two skills are essential for the modern world, where information is abundant but wisdom is scarce.

The concept of Tabula Rasa is often defined as "the mind in its original, uninformed state, before any learning begins." The literal meaning of this Latin phrase is a writing tablet scraped clean of any previous inscriptions. This suggests that a young pupil's mind is open and can be shaped as the teacher wishes. I am sure you would agree with me that this idea is quite powerful, especially when we consider the role of education in shaping young minds.

As we know, the idea of Tabula Rasa has deep roots in philosophy and psychology. The English philosopher John Locke popularized the concept in the 17th century, arguing that the human mind at birth is a blank slate, and all knowledge comes from experience. Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding laid the foundation for empiricism, which emphasizes that knowledge is acquired through sensory experience.

However, this notion has been contested by many thinkers. René Descartes, for instance, had a contrasting view. He believed that humans are born with innate ideas and knowledge, rather than acquiring everything solely through experience. Descartes, a rationalist, emphasized the role of reason over sensory perception. The philosophical debate between rationalists and empiricists continues to this day.

I must admit that I find both perspectives intriguing. On the one hand, empiricism suggests that we are shaped entirely by our environment, which means education and experiences are of utmost importance. On the other hand, rationalists argue that certain cognitive structures are already present in the human mind from birth, allowing for reasoning and understanding beyond sensory input. Who is right? I do not know. People say that the truth might lie somewhere in between.

Interestingly, some Buddhist beliefs challenge the Tabula Rasa notion. They say that newborn babies may recall past lives, implying that their minds are not entirely empty. If this is true, then the idea that we start as blank slates would not hold. My conviction is that this is a fascinating area of inquiry, and it reminds us that different cultures and traditions offer diverse perspectives on human nature.

As a teacher, I sometimes feel that students are not completely without prior knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs. Their families, cultures, and societies have shaped their thinking long before they enter a classroom. What we all know and agree upon is that no one learns in isolation. Even before formal education begins, children absorb knowledge from their surroundings. This makes me wonder—can we truly call their minds blank slates?

I like the idea of Tabula Rasa in the sense that it emphasizes the power of learning and personal growth. It suggests that individuals are not bound by their circumstances at birth but have the potential to acquire knowledge and develop new skills. Nevertheless, it is my belief that we must also acknowledge the influences of genetics, culture, and past experiences in shaping who we are.

In my opinion, education should strike a balance between these two perspectives. We should recognize that students come into the classroom with prior knowledge, yet they also possess the ability to learn and change. The news has it that modern neuroscience supports this idea, indicating that while the brain is highly adaptable, it is not entirely a blank slate at birth.

Experts say that learning is a complex interaction between nature and nurture. While experiences play a crucial role in shaping intelligence and skills, there are also innate cognitive abilities that help us process information. I am not an expert, but I have read somewhere that even newborns show certain reflexes and preferences, suggesting that not everything is learned from scratch.

I guess it is safe to say that Tabula Rasa is a useful metaphor, but not an absolute truth. It serves as a reminder that education has the power to shape individuals, yet we must also consider the existing beliefs and knowledge students bring with them. As teachers, we should strive to nurture curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and help students build upon what they already know.

I cannot help but think about deep neural networks and machine learning (AI). It seems that, like Geoffrey Hinton says, there is no universal grammar (UG). The mind of the machine is a blank slate or Tabula Rasa. Chomsky may disagree. The debate about whether language learning is based on innate structures or purely learned from data continues, now extending beyond human minds to artificial intelligence. People say that AI learns through massive data inputs and pattern recognition, much like empiricism suggests. But does that mean it truly understands language, or is it just mimicking human speech? I somehow think this is an open question.

Tabula Rasa remains a compelling idea that continues to spark debate. I somehow think that both empiricists and rationalists have valid points, and the truth likely lies somewhere in between. While I do not claim to have all the answers, I find it fascinating to reflect on how knowledge is acquired and how education influences our perceptions of the world. I know you would agree with me that learning is a lifelong journey, and whether we start as blank slates or not, what truly matters is our willingness to keep growing and evolving.

Janpha Thadphoothon is an assistant professor of ELT at the International College, Dhurakij Pundit University in Bangkok, Thailand. Janpha Thadphoothon also holds a certificate of Generative AI with Large Language Models issued by DeepLearning.AI.