History of Psychology Quizzes
Quiz 1
1) Consider the statement “Minds are nothing but brains”. Would
Descartes agree with this statement? Why (not)?
No, because Descartes believed in Dualism and dualism states that the mind and
the brain are two different entities.
2) How do the views of empiricism and rationalism relate to those of nature
and nurture?
Empiricists share the view that there is no such thing as innate knowledge, and that
instead knowledge is derived from experience
Rationalists share the view that there is innate knowledge
The nature versus nurture debate involves whether human behavior is determined
by the environment, either prenatal or during a person's life, or by a person's genes.
3) Describe the fundamental difference between the medieval and the
mechanics outlook on knowledge.
In the medieval times, people believed that we didn’t need to acquire any new
knowledge because everything already had a fixed order (why things were the way
they were)
In the mechanist times, people believed that we acquired all our knowledge from
observations of time, space, and matter (how things worked)
4) Consider the statement “true knowledge comes from introspection”.
Would Francis Bacon agree with this statement? Why (not)?
No, because Francis Bacon believes that certain knowledge could be obtained only
on the basis of observations in his view, and these observations could result in
certain knowledge only if they were done with the method of induction
5) Describe how Descartes’ view on knowledge relates to that of Plato.
Descartes, as did Plato, believes that knowledge (for the most part) is innate and
needs to be unlocked.
Both rationalists
Quiz 1
1) Consider the statement “Minds are nothing but brains”. Would
Descartes agree with this statement? Why (not)?
No, because Descartes believed in Dualism and dualism states that the mind and
the brain are two different entities.
2) How do the views of empiricism and rationalism relate to those of nature
and nurture?
Empiricists share the view that there is no such thing as innate knowledge, and that
instead knowledge is derived from experience
Rationalists share the view that there is innate knowledge
The nature versus nurture debate involves whether human behavior is determined
by the environment, either prenatal or during a person's life, or by a person's genes.
3) Describe the fundamental difference between the medieval and the
mechanics outlook on knowledge.
In the medieval times, people believed that we didn’t need to acquire any new
knowledge because everything already had a fixed order (why things were the way
they were)
In the mechanist times, people believed that we acquired all our knowledge from
observations of time, space, and matter (how things worked)
4) Consider the statement “true knowledge comes from introspection”.
Would Francis Bacon agree with this statement? Why (not)?
No, because Francis Bacon believes that certain knowledge could be obtained only
on the basis of observations in his view, and these observations could result in
certain knowledge only if they were done with the method of induction
5) Describe how Descartes’ view on knowledge relates to that of Plato.
Descartes, as did Plato, believes that knowledge (for the most part) is innate and
needs to be unlocked.
Both rationalists
