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We have both innate knowledge and use reasoning to build new knowledge.

a) Empiricism
b) Rationalism
c) Nativism
d) Behaviorism

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The belief that we possess innate knowledge and develop further understanding through reasoning aligns with the philosophical doctrine of Rationalism, which regards reason as the source of knowledge and stands in contrast to Empiricism, which advocates that knowledge arises from sensory experience.

Step-by-step explanation:

Within the context of the Enlightenment period, the proposition that we have both innate knowledge and use reasoning to build new knowledge aligns with the philosophical doctrine of Rationalism. Rationalism puts forth the concept that the foundation of knowledge comes from reason and logical thinking, rather than from sensory experience, making it distinct from Empiricism which holds that knowledge derives from sensory experiences. René Descartes, a prominent French thinker during the Enlightenment, was a strong proponent of this view and suggested that innate ideas and principles can be known without the need for sensory experience.

Moreover, Rationalism suggests that there is certain innate knowledge present from birth, and these universal truths are accessed using reason, as opposed to empirically gathered knowledge which is based on evidence and experience. Empiricism, represented by thinkers like John Locke, conversely posits that the mind at birth is a blank slate (tabula rasa) and that all knowledge is acquired through the senses.

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