360 NEW ESSAYS 



The differences between us have regard to subjects u 

 of some importance. There is the question whether the 

 soul, in itself, is entirely empty, like a writing- tablet on 

 which nothing has yet been written (tabula rasa), (which 

 is the opinion of Aristotle 12 and of the author of the 

 Essay), and whether everything that is inscribed upon it 

 comes solely from the senses and experience ; or whether 

 the soul originally contains the principles 13 of several 

 notions and doctrines, which are merely roused on certain 

 occasions by external objects, as I hold along with Plato 

 and even with the Schoolmen, and with all those who 

 interpret in this sense the passage of St. Paul (Eomans, 

 ii. 15), in which he shows that the law of God is written 

 in men's hearts. The Stoics called these principles H 

 15 , that is, fundamental assumptions or what 



probable), and are illustrated by instances and similar cases.' De 

 stilo philosophico Nisolii (1670) (E. 63 a ; G. iv. 146). 



11 E. reads ' objects.' 



12 Cf. note 9. Aristotle's meaning, however, is very different 

 from that of Locke. 6 vovs is not the ' soul,' but reason as opposed 

 to sense. And there is a vovs diraOrjs. The context of the passage in 

 which vovs is compared to the writing-tablet shows that Aristotle 

 merely meant to protest against the view that reason has certain 

 complete l ready-made ' ideas, apart from all sense- experience. But 

 this is quite consistent with holding that there are in reason 

 potential or virtual forms or ideas. Even the clean writing-tablet 

 is at least a writing-tablet and not a sheet of water on which 

 nothing can be written. Cf. De Anima, iii. 4. 429* 27 : KOL ev 5r) 

 ol \eyovTS rr\v ^i/x^i/ fivai TOTTOV fiSuv, Tr\r]v on ovre o\rj a\\' rj voijriKr], 

 ovTf Ij/Te\x "? oAAa owdfii TO, 6?8?7. Cf. Analytica Post. ii. 19, 99 b 

 20 sqq. 



13 apxai, grounds or sources. 



14 E. reads ' common notions ' after ' principles.' 



15 The original has prolepses. The Stoic irp6\r}\f>is, however, was 

 not an anticipation prior to, or presupposed by, all experience, but 

 the common image resulting from a series of sense-impressions, 

 which leads us to expect other similar impressions. The distin- 

 guishing characteristic of the npo\Tj^fis is that they arise tyvtriKtas 

 (naturally), and are not deliberately constructed by us. Thus 

 Diogenes Laertius, vii. 54 : can 8' 77 TrpoA.^? (vvoia <f>vffiKt) ruv 

 Ka0u\ov. Cf. Placita, iv. ii, quoted by Hitter and Preller, Hist. Phil. 

 Graec. 393, in which the Stoics are represented as holding a view 



