innate; innate inasmuch as we do not derive them from without, but from some source which is either the mind itself, or intimately allied to the mind. We find, accordingly, that Plato held ideas to be innate; that they were not imparted to the mind from without, although they were elicited into consciousness on the occasion of some outward impression. Plato thus stands forth in the history of philosophy as the first and principal philosopher by whom the doctrine of innate ideas was expressly advocated. He followed Socrates in the opinion that the seeds of all rational knowledge pre-existed in the mind, that they might be drawn forth into full growth and development from within, but could not be imparted to us from without. He held, moreover, with Socrates, that the true art of education consisted in educing from the pupil's own mind its own native treasures, by stimulating his reflective capacities. The Sophists, on the contrary, regarded the mind as a tabula rasa, on which no original characters were inscribed; and their boast was, that they could communicate to the minds of their pupils any amount or any kind of knowledge that was required.
29. That the doctrine of innate ideas is true in some sense, and to some extent, is undeniable; and therefore Locke's repudiation of the doctrine, as one which could not be accepted on any terms, must be set aside as short-sighted and injudicious. It is still,
