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Topic: Tabula Rasa (Read 1087 times)

AoM
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Tabula Rasa
« on: Jun 22^nd, 2005, 10:35am »

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hi, this is the episode that was on last week, i just got around to watching it last night.

Did I miss some things? It wa just a weird episode, it didn't have much weirdness going on. Is this just "filler" or is it one i will look back and and be like "Wow, i can't believe i missed that"

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yesteach
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Re: Tabula Rasa
« Reply #1 on: Jun 22^nd, 2005, 10:55am »

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It was more or less to give background on Kate.. however, there are a couple of things that have been "noted" as signs to future goings on... Locke making the whistle and finding Vincent. And the comment from Michael about "going to look for your dog when it stops raining".. and suddenly, it stops (signs of Walt's "special" abilities??) I've learned after watching them all - never assume anything is "filler" on this show...

Also, the speculation on the title. There is the thought that it applies to the comment Jack makes about them all having a clean slate (at the end when Kate tries to tell him about her past). But there is also speculation that it has to do with Locke's character, as the term tabula rasa was first used by the philosopher John Locke (the real one - who some think Locke is based on).

The following information I found researching the term I thought was interesting if applied to the program:
http://www.answers.com/topic/tabula-rasa
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tabula rasa

For the other meanings of this term, see Tabula rasa (disambiguation).

Tabula rasa (Latin: "scraped tablet", though often translated "blank slate") is the notion that individual human beings are born "blank" (with no built-in mental content), and that their identity is defined entirely by events after birth.

However, two uses of the term in modern usage are fundamentally incongruent.

In John Locke's philosophy, tabula rasa was the theory that the (human) mind is at birth a "blank slate" without rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing it formed solely by our sensory experiences. The notion is central to Lockean empiricism. As understood by Locke, tabula rasa meant that the mind of the individual was born "blank", and it also emphasized the individual's freedom to author his or her own soul. Each individual was free to define the content of his or her character - but his or her basic identity as a member of the human species cannot be so altered. It is this presumption of a free, self-authored mind combined with an immutable human nature, from which the Lockean doctrine of "natural" rights derives.

Tabula rasa is also featured in Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis.

In recent times, however, tabula rasa has come to be understood fundamentally differently. While the idea that the individual can be changed remains, the power to effect that change is now ascribed to society, not the self - and that power extends to the whole of human nature. Under this view, one can almost without restriction shape the individual by changing the individual's environment, and thus sensory experiences.

Science

In computer science, "tabula rasa" refers to the development of autonomous agents which are provided with a mechanism to reason and plan toward their goal, but no "built-in" knowledge-base of their environment. They are thus truly a "blank slate".

In reality autonomous agents are provided with an initial data-set or knowledge-base, but this should not be immutable or it will hamper autonomy and heuristic ability. Even if the data-set is empty, it can usually be argued that there is an in-built bias in the reasoning and planning mechanisms. Either intentionally or unintentionally placed there by the human designer, it thus negates the true spirit of tabula rasa.

Politics

Generally speaking, one cannot decide whether a theory is true or not simply by examining what political or philosophical implications it might have. Nevertheless, some have been attracted to, or repulsed by, the notion of the "blank slate" for such reasons.

On the one hand, the theory of a "blank slate" is attractive since it supposes that innate mental differences between normal human beings do not and cannot exist; therefore, racism and sexism are profoundly illogical. However, this does not mean that such prejudice would make sense if there were innate differences.

Some are also attracted to the idea of a "blank slate" due to a fear of being determined, or even influenced, by their genes (though why being determined or influenced by society is better is a difficult question).

On the other hand, the theory means there are no inherent limits to how society can shape human psychology; nor is there a political structure that best fits human nature. As such, the theory is taken up by many utopian schemes that rely on changing human nature to achieve their goals, and many such schemes end up moving towards totalitarianism. However, the opposing view, that humans have a genetically influenced nature, could also lead to dubious social engineering such as eugenics.

« Last Edit: Jun 22^nd, 2005, 10:56am by yesteach »

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AoM
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Re: Tabula Rasa
« Reply #2 on: Jun 22^nd, 2005, 11:07am »

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thanks! can't wait for tonight's episode

I think we also got interesting insight into Sawyers character, willing to kill a man but upset knowing he caused suffering...that was interesting....

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yesteach
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Re: Tabula Rasa
« Reply #3 on: Jun 22^nd, 2005, 11:16am »

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Sawyer is quite a puzzle to me... sometimes I think he's the "bad guy".. other times he has very redeeming qualities... I'd take him over Jack anyday.. at least he's not boring..

He's also an antithesis to Jack's character.. while Jack was willing to do whatever it took to save this man - the guy was still suffering..

While Sawyer saw this, and was more willing to just "put him out of his misery" than being concerned with perserving life...

Which is the right thing to do... which the most ethical? I love the way this show makes you THINK!!

« Last Edit: Jun 22^nd, 2005, 11:18am by yesteach »

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There are only 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary, and those who don't.