Where Do We Get Our Ideal Concepts, or Rationalism Defended against Every Knave

Abstract

A talk, given originally in 1981 to several undergraduate philosophy groups. The talk argues that common "empiricist" accounts of the formation of ideal concepts (perfect circle, the ideally just state, geometrical point, etc.) are insufficient, and that theories like the Platonic theory of Recollection, the Augustinian theory of "illumination," or the Cartesian theory of innate ideas, need to be taken seriously. The talk does not recommend any of these latter theories, but only the problem they collectively address.