Tabula rasa (original) (raw)

Tabula Rasa is a theory that the (human) mind is at birth a "blank slate" without data or rules for processing it, and that data is added and rules for processing it formed solely by our sensory experiences. Tabula Rasa (Latin for "clean slate" or "blank slate") was first advocated by John Locke, and is central to empiricism. It is also featured in Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis.

Implicit in the theory is the belief that individuals are infinitely and arbitrarily malleable by society: by changing the individual's environment, and thus sensory experiences, one can shape the individual with few, if any, restrictions. Thus the theory is taken up by many utopian schemes that rely on changing human nature in order to achieve their goals.

In music, Tabula Rasa is the title of many compositions, including one by Arvo Part.