Locke, John

John Locke (1632-1704) was a British philosopher who had a profound influence on the school of empiricism. Locke believed the human infant enters the world with a tabula rasa (i.e. a blank slate). Accordingly, we inherit nothing more than physical … Continue reading →

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa (Latin: blank slate) is the idea that human beings are born psychologically equal, and that all knowledge comes from experience or perception. We usually hear that the British empirical philosopher John Locke forwarded this view. This is true, … Continue reading →

Torah

Torah [Hebrew torah: instruction] The Torah refers to the first five books of the Jewish Bible, known as the Pentateuch. Although traditionally ascribed to Moses, contemporary scholars suggest they have been compiled from different sources. The Torah outlines the beginnings … Continue reading →

T’Pol

T’Pol is a female Vulcan science officer in the American TV show Star Trek: Enterprise (active 2001-2005). The character is played by Jolene Blalock, who was one of the bright lights of the series. Attractive and chic, she also played … Continue reading →

Tramp Souls

In mystical thought, tramp souls are deceased persons said to be clinging to the material world, often to some locality. They might be holding a grudge against someone whom they feel wronged them. Alternately, tramp souls are regarded as accidental … Continue reading →

Unconscious

Black’s Medical Dictionary (39th edition) defines the unconscious as “a description of mental activities of which an individual is unaware” (p. 567). In the West, the idea of the unconscious has an interesting history. It’s found in the ancient Greek … Continue reading →

William of Ockham

William of Ockham (1285-1347) was an influential English Franciscan philosopher. Much to the chagrin of Pope John XXII, he vigorously defended Saint Francis’ ideal of holy poverty. Many believe that his outspokenness contributed to his being charged with heresy and … Continue reading →

George Berkeley

George  Berkeley (1685-1753) was the Anglican Dean of Derry (1724), bishop of Cloyne (1734) and an important philosopher belonging to the school of idealism. Born in Ireland, Berkeley moved to Oxford in 1752 and became one of the so-called British … Continue reading →

Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a psychological theory that sees mankind as operating more like a machine than as a free agent. Its modern form arose in reaction to so-called armchair philosophers, depth psychologists and alleged mystics who tried to understand human motivation … Continue reading →

Deism

Deism is the belief, as exemplified by John Locke, in the reasonableness of Christianity. This belief arose in defense of the idea of God in the face of Newtonian physics. Deism believes in a creator God while also accepting the … Continue reading →