Is sensation necessary for thought?

Discussion in 'Philosophy' started by Wildcard23, Mar 22, 2012.

  1. #1 Wildcard23, Mar 22, 2012
    I'm reading John Locke's an Essay Concerning Human Understanding and he's taking a pretty adamant empiricist stand that I really don't agree with. He believes all thought begins with the first sensation. Was toking and wondered what my fellow blades thought :smoke:
     
  2. #2 PeruvianDank, Mar 22, 2012
    C'mon, get an update; while remarkable for his time, I believe, we have more accurate knowledge today concerning this matter.

    If you want to test this, get inside a isolation tank and relax for a while. After you stop feeling your body and there are no sensations, start having thoughts. lol
     
  3. #3 old cat lady, Mar 23, 2012
    you mean do humans need some kind of stimulation of either sight, smell, sound, etc to have thoughts? no. there is this thing where you go in and it's like filled with water or something, and you lie in it and there is absolutely no light, sound or anything. after a while there are like no sensations. people use this for meditation and astral travel. it doesn't make you unable to have thoughts, but it like separates mind and body.
     
  4. #4 Boats And Hoes, Mar 24, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 24, 2012
    But, what if this isolation began from the time of birth? How can u have thoughts, ideas, and concepts if you've NEVER experienced anything? U can't; just as a blind man can't have a dream about the appearance, images, of things...

    I don't agree with John Locke on everything, but trust me, continue to read his books, and you will learn a lot from that man...!
     
  5. #5 Gratuax, Mar 24, 2012
    makes sense to me. how would your intellectual faculty develop if there were no sensations for it to cognize?
     
  6. #6 futureghost, Mar 24, 2012
    From birth, yes. That's if you never had any sense ever though. Which I'm fairly sure has got to be ridiculously rare (is there even a case of it?).

    So no. You don't need sensations to create thoughts, atleat not at that particular moment. You do need senses at other points to create experiences which leads to more complex thoughts, atleast imho.

    I like this forum :)
     
  7. #7 Boats And Hoes, Mar 24, 2012
    If you've never perceived phenomenon, and you couldn't "sense" any external objects, from birth(a vegetable)... how would thought be set in motion?
     
  8. #8 futureghost, Mar 25, 2012
    [quote name='"Boats And Hoes"']If you've never perceived phenomenon, and you couldn't "sense" any external objects, from birth(a vegetable)... how would thought be set in motion?[/quote]

    I believe we are agreeing. Thought would be impossible if said brain has never percieved anything external since birth
     
  9. #9 Boats And Hoes, Mar 25, 2012
    So, my friend, ultimately, sensation is necessary for thought, right?
     

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