Nature-Nurture Debate

The Nature-Nurture Debate used to be one of the divisions among psychologists. Some psychologists emphasized the universality of developmental milestones, reflexes, and instincts, while other psychologists placed importance on social and cultural factors that affect our behavior and mental processes.

The debate actually started with René Descartes and John Locke discussing the nature of knowledge. Descartes argued for the nature view, claiming that ideas about God, the self, geometric axioms, perfection, and infinity are innate, and need not be experienced to be understood. They can be understood abstractly, and the understanding comes from within. On the other hand, Locke argued for the nurture view, likening the mind to a blank slate, which he coined tabula rasa, that is then written by experiences. He elaborated on the richness of experiential knowledge. This led to the development of Associationist Psychology, which studies about sensation according to principles that guide the integration of our senses.