Tabula Rasa
For the ignorant it is Latin for Blank Slate
For those who are still in the dark, it is an epistemological theory that human beings are born without any prior knowledge and therefore learn from their experiences and/or from what they are taught to believe.
The Romans used wax tablets to take notes. When they needed to erase the tablet for reuse they would heat the wax and remould it to give a tabula rasa.
Tabula Rasa, therefore, really means -’erased tablet’
kind of like freeing up the RAM or disk(/tablet) space.
As is the case with any device, what matters is WHO controls it.
If the individual is in control of their own tabula rasa, they will decide what content they will believe, which content will be suspect and what they will choose to reject.
In other words they will use their own experience, perception and judgement to develop their worldview.
The trouble comes when OTHERS write on an individual’s tabula rasa either by
a. persuasion or
b. coercion or
c. a combination of both
Furthermore each of these methods might be
a. acceptable to the individual
b. unacceptable to the individual
All forms of human organization – nations, cultures, economies, societies, companies, institutions, clubs, communities seek control over the individual’s tabula rasa
Bureaucratic rationalization lends them the logical right to do so.
Although this is done for the common good – it can also do evil because survival (that of the individual as well as that of the group) critically depends NOT really on
WHO writes on the tabula rasa
BUT
WHAT is written on it.
Sometimes the individual’s H0 can be superior
Which H0 – the default hypothesis – should we believe?
In a world where nobody has all the answers, all we have are hypotheses
In a world where we have to be able to act under conditions of uncertainty, Action cannot wait upon Knowledge (Bounded Rationality)
Which course of action should one pursue?
What shall we-choose-to-believe-unless-we-have-evidence-to-the-contrary?
It is important to recognize that H0 – the default hypothesis does not need proof before it is implemented.
On the contrary, it is what will be imposed, unless there is proof that it will not work
If accumulating proof takes a lifetime, in the meantime H0 will reign – maybe for a lifetime
Without proof!
It is therefore critical that we choose our H0 carefully.
It is critical that we be careful of what we etch onto our tabula rasa
We need to be careful who we allow access to on our tabula rasa
It is imperative to understand that organizations are responsible for the H0s they etch onto tabula rasas.
A true researcher, therefore, should not allow a default hypothesis to reign while he/she collects data and evidence to displace it.
A true case teacher, therefore, should not allow his/her answers to reign while the students seek their own answers.
User Beware! WHAT is being etched on to your tabula rasa?
Periodically erase your slate. Keep an open mind.
Dr. Siva V. Gabbita
So true (Everybody wants to protect their tabula rasa and gain control over other’s). I am wondering though, if one does have a choice of selecting the H0.
They do. It essentially depends on how one interprets H0.
Is H0 – (the current solution) – what is widely accepted?
or
Is H0 – (the current solution) – what you choose to believe when there is no proof.
If you are evaluating a candidate for instance –
Is your H0 that the candidate is worthy?
or
is your H0 that the candidate is not?
If your interview does not give you sufficient evidence, will you hire or discard the candidate?
Most interview panels would discard.
Is that always good for the company?
i think only if you discard the context can you say that there is a possibility of two different H0′s. But since a context is almost always there, the H0 is automatically fixed.
You mean
“Does free will really exist?”
“Can an observer/participant not interfere with what is being observed?”
“Is there such a thing as objective reality?”
I agree, but we can certainly change frames of reference and look at the same problem from different perspectives.
The question is are research communities open to different frames of reference?
The obvious answer is NO!
If you look at the artificial dichotomy between inductive and deductive approaches and the divide between qualitative and quantitative research approaches and the periodic fads that determine the publishing of research work in journals :
A researcher’s tabula rasa is controlled by groupthink
That is what “automatically fixes” the H0
There is no proof that it works – but till one finds proof that it does not – it rules!
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