In the first book of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke argues against innate ideas using three arguments. The intention of this article will be to discuss John Locke's views on ideas while introducing and explaining in detail his three arguments against innate ideas, addressing his idea of ​​a clean slate. Additionally, he will briefly discuss alternative views on innate ideas, both contradictory and similar. John Locke's writings appeared at a time when there was philosophical debate between the empiricists and the rationalists. Rationalists believed that true knowledge came through certainty and rationalist philosophers like Descartes believed in the existence of ideas and knowledge at birth. During this time, empiricists believed that the senses were essential to one's ability to become aware of knowledge of the world. They believed that everything came from experience. Given that he was an empiricist, this was John Locke's belief. Locke's Argument Against Innate Ideas In his essay, Locke gives three propositions for rejecting innate objects. John Locke argued that there are no innate ideas in the minds of human beings. He based his reasoning on three ideas or propositions. They are as follows:1. There is no universal agreement;2. If innate ideas come from reason, then they are deduced; and3. If evidence equals innateness, the consequence of innate ideas ends in something absurd (Ariew). With the first proposition, that there is no universal consent, Locke believed that for there to be an existence of innate ideas, there would have to be ideas about which everyone should agree. agree or approve. These ideas would be in the mind...... middle of paper...... it seems the matter is a little more than subjective depending on the individual's core beliefs (i.e. say empiricist, rationalist, etc.). This could of course be why this has been and may still be a subject of great debate. References Ariew, Roger and Eric Watkins. “John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690).” Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary Sources. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 2009. 316-421. Print.Look, Brandon C., "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2014 edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .Loux, Michael J. Metaphysics: Contemporary Readings. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.Pasternack, Lawrence, Ph.D. “John Locke.” Conference on philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. March 11-13, 2014. Conference