Final answer:
The theory that posits humans are born as a 'blank slate' is known as tabula rasa, primarily associated with philosopher John Locke, who argued that knowledge is acquired exclusively through experience and sensory reflection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theory that asserts a human being is a 'blank slate' at birth is known as tabula rasa. This concept was prominently articulated by John Locke, who suggested that humans are born without innate ideas or knowledge and that all of our knowledge comes from experience. This experience, according to Locke, is gained through our senses and reflection on sensory information, as described in his influential work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.
This philosophical viewpoint is part of a broader empirical tradition which includes other thinkers like David Hume, who also endorsed the blank slate theory but was more skeptical about what could be known with certainty from empirical evidence. Also, the Persian polymath Ibn Sina (often known by his Latinized name Avicenna) posited a similar blank slate concept within his understanding of the human rational soul and its development through sensory experience and reflection.
While the blank slate theory focuses on the mind's initial state and subsequent acquisition of knowledge and understanding, it stands in contrast to theories of innate knowledge or preformationism, the latter being mostly discredited by embryological and genetic science as described in the historical anecdotes about preformationist views like the homunculus and others. The blank slate view also intersects with discussions on the nature of self-development, and the formation of personhood and identity.