Treatise on the Sensations
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In his Treatise on Sensations (1754), Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, a French philosopher, explored the origins of human knowledge through the lens of sensationalism. He posited that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience, rejecting the idea of innate knowledge.12
Condillac used the thought experiment of a statue, whose senses are unlocked one by one, to illustrate how consciousness, memory, and judgment develop solely from sensory input. He argued that faculties are acquired, not inherent, and that a methodical analysis of sensory experiences is key to understanding the world. This philosophy significantly influenced the French intellectual movement known as Idéologie.21
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educationThe SensationistsIn the Treatise on Sensations (1754) Condillac imagined a statue organized inwardly like a man but animated by a soul that had never received an idea or a sense impression. He then unlocked its senses one by one. The statue’s power of attention came into existence through…
Read MoreIn the Treatise on Sensations (1754) Condillac imagined a statue organized inwardly like a man but animated by a soul that had never received an idea or a sense impression. He then unlocked its senses one by one. The statue’s power of attention came into existence through…
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Western philosophyMaterialism and scientific discovery…Offroy de La Mettrie (1709–51), Treatise on the Sensations (1754) by Étienne Bonnot de Condillac (1715–80), and The System of Nature (1770) by Paul-Henri Dietrich, baron d’Holbach (1723–89). This position even found its way into many of the articles of the great French Encyclopédie, edited by
Read More…Offroy de La Mettrie (1709–51), Treatise on the Sensations (1754) by Étienne Bonnot de Condillac (1715–80), and The System of Nature (1770) by Paul-Henri Dietrich, baron d’Holbach (1723–89). This position even found its way into many of the articles of the great French Encyclopédie, edited by
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