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Date: 1701

"For I will here suppose the Soul, or Mind of Man, to be at first, rasa Tabula, like fair paper, that hath no connate Character or Idea's imprinted upon it (as that Learned Theorist Mr. Lock hath, I suppose, fully proved) and that it is not sensible of any thing at its coming...

— Cumberland, Richard (1632-1718)

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Date: 1692, 1702

"The Soul of Man comes into this World at least as Ill-informed of the Affairs of Grace, as those of Nature. It is in all respects, a Rasa tabula, a meer Blank, and hath need of being fill'd with every thing"

— Jurieu, Pierre (1637-1713); Fleetwood, William, Trans.

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Date: 1704

"My Soul's, as to that Affair, a clean sheet of Paper, a meer Tabula Rasa; therefore, Sir, you may impress any Characters in the World upon it; Mahometan, Jew, or Pagan, 'tis all a case to your poor distressed Servant"

— Brown, Thomas (bap. 1663, d. 1704)

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Date: 1704

"It's a kind of tabula rasa, a Blank, that almost with the same Facility receives the Characters of Angel, and of Devil; but when once it's stained with Sin, when it's by-assed by ill Habits, and worse Principles, you will find it stubborn and rebellious."

— Darrell, William (1651-1721)

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Date: 1704

"But it does hence follow, That the Soul of Man in its Original Constitution, and in the most perfect State of its nature, is not a Rasa Tabula, without any Notions or Ideas of Truth imprinted on it; but that it has its most natural and perfect Knowledge from within, from contemplating its...

— Sherlock, William (1639/40-1707)

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Date: 1704

"Has this Old Man, who was once an admirable Scholar, no Ideas left in his mind? Is his Soul become a Rasa Tabula again?"

— Sherlock, William (1639/40-1707)

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Date: 1704

"But this is the great Difficulty, What the Voice and Sense of Nature is; which if it signify any Thing, must signify some Natural and Inbred Knowledge; which is exploded as a ridiculous Conceit by some great and profound Philosophers of our Age; who will allow no Innate Knowledge, but assert the...

— Sherlock, William (1639/40-1707)

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Date: 1704

"Now I confess I am of Opinion, that the Mind is so far from being a Rasa Tabula, that it is plentifully furnished with all Ideas of Truth, which are the Seeds and Principles of all Knowledge we have, or ever shall have; that we cannot form any one true Notion, but what is founded in some ...

— Sherlock, William (1639/40-1707)

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Date: Dated August 6, 1707; 1711

"The mind of man is at first (if you will pardon the expression) like a tabula rasa, or like wax, which, while it is soft, is capable of any impression, till time has hardened it."

— Swift, Jonathan (1667-1745)

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Date: 1707

"Lest any understand what I have said a few Pages hence as if I wholly denied common Innate Principles, observe, That it is only actual Connate Knowledge that I deny, and in respect to which I say that the Soul is rasa tabula; but I confess a Natural Passive power for the knowing of them a...

— Baxter, Richard (1615-1691)

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The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.