The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature

by Steven Pinker

The doctrines of the Blank Slate, the Noble Savage, and the Ghost in the Machine—or, as philosophers call them, empiricism, romanticism, and dualism—are logically independent, but in practice they are often found together.

Here's a little table I made Concept Philosophy Opposite Proponent Blank Slate Empiricism Rationalism Aristotle / Locke Noble Savage Romanticism Enlightenment Rousseau Ghost in the Machine dualism monism Descartes