Active Versus Passive Mind Debate Essay

tienne Bon non de Condillac an 18th-century French philosopher contended that the senses are the mental institution for all ideas and other functions carried out in the mind. Another prominent French philosopher, Ren Descartes supported the Rationalistic surmise an explanation of behavior based on logic that has nothing to do with the senses. Condillacs Sensationalism premise and Descartes theory of Rationalism serve as fuel for the classic active versus unresisting mind debate.The passive mind theory suggests that all learning occurs by dint of the experience of sensations, in the absence of voluntary mind control processes, patch the active mind theory claims the exact opposite that individuals actively focus certain mental processes on the subject matter and the senses play no part in the process. Descartes also believed that sensory data was inclined to be false and was therefore useless, suggesting that mathematical deduction was the only path to the truth. Justin Skirry 2 008I believe that both theories have some validity. The problem arises for me with the use of the word all by Condillac, and the use of the word only by Descartes, which is what takes the theories from the give part of the continuum to the extreme. Sensory learning is of course a proven fact, just now it is also a fact that active learning occurs as well. It is not unusual for a philosopher to be both a sensationalist and a rationalist at the same time.I tend to trust my deductive powers of reasoning more than my senses, because many outside forces faeces alter the senses. restoration emotion for instance, I am aware of the role unchecked emotions can play in faulty decision-making. I have learned not to make important decisions when I am in a passing emotional state.