Define the difference between instinct and innate knowledge

Is there a difference between the two?

Uh...

I think we have certain hardwired potentialities that are lurking right there ready to kick in from when we are born. For example, babies are quite sophisticated about recognizing the importance of faces and what faces mean when they make different expressions from very, very early on. But those potentialities have to interact with the environment to kick in -- a baby who doesn't see any faces won't be able to use those wonderful expression-reading abilities.

Interesting, well this isn't something I've thought about before, but I think my thoughts are something like as follows -
Instinct is an automatic behaviour, as engrained in our genes as our eye colour, etc. e.g instinct makes sure we quickly withdraw from hot objects.
To me, the word 'knowledge' implies an active component. I'm not sure I believe there is such a thing as innate knowledge. Knowledge is something imparted through interaction with someone/something (could be a book, etc). 'Innate knowledge' makes me think of bizarre ideas such as being born with the knowledge of how to make your mother's fabulous chicken soup... :-?

(Multiple post deleted )

Edited.

Semantics. If you define "instinct" as something, then something is what it is. There you go. Everyone has a different definition, as they observe and judge the world differently, so beware this thread may be ripe for semantic disagreements.


Today, I define instinct as ones' overall brain, as it spreads down our spine and throughout our body. Most of our thoughts, ideas and knowledge are subconscious, so when we immerse ourselves in a situation and somehow, mysteriously "know" things, that is our subconsious mind putting everything together. A combination of perception and memory, processing and understanding, instinct can be trained, sharpened and developed the same way you can raise your I.Q., learn perfect pitch, or acquire a photographic memory.

When we use every faculty at our disposal then we operate at a highly instinctive level, far beyond the lower thought forms that humans indulge when they dissect, analyze and focus on one topic at a time. Science, engineering, and western medicine are notoriously effective for specific problem-solving, but not nearly as comprehesive and valuable as the higher levels of instinctual processing that many animals use quite easily and naturally.


Innate knowledge on the other hand is defined by ... it's own definition! :-) It's innate. It's knowledge. So you just have it, that's all. Whatever you have, that's what it is. Your DNA creates certain structures in your body that perform certain functions. Those physical responses are a form of physical knowledge, including mechanical, chemical, electrical, organic and genetic forms of memory and processing. Each type of knowledge is distinctive but additive. So overall, you just can't help yourself. You just "know" how to live and take care of millions of things.

Your DNA also creates certain neural connections that give your knee reflexes, your heart and lungs complex responses, and creates specific types of mental processing for each of your senses. The color red tends to make people freak out. We are tuned to "see" movement better than shapes. Cold makes us shiver to stay warm. Overall, anything that one could see as "innate" and "knowledge" I would classify as innate knowledge.

That's just my working model today, based on what I've seen so far. Most of our knowledge is just plain wrong anyways, constantly adapting and changing, so ask us again tomorrow.



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Like anyone, I'll never be "right" but at least I'm always learning.

I would agree with CodeBorg on this one, I would say that by definition, instinct and innate knowledge are interchangeable.

I would agree with CodeBorg on this one, I would say that by definition, instinct and innate knowledge are interchangeable.




My Sig------------------------------


Eat Poop

I liked CodeBorg's post a lot, and tend to agree. I do think "instinct" covers part of what Rae referred to, as well, which is slightly different from "innate knowledge."

Eat poop eh, depends on my mood, and what sort of poop.

Watch it about the poop, ZMAN was expelled for talking about it! Don't bring it up ever again! What is with all these anal retentive people. All yall do is talk about poop!

The kind would be green of course.

At first glance I'd think they are interchangable.

But, looking at definitions, there is a subtle difference, having to do with REASON, or somehow involving the conscious mind.

Based on Webster, instinct can be defined as


while innate's definition (3rd one down) is:


Suckling is an instinct, while compassion would be innate (to some)

I am so far from being anal retentive it hurts....and as far as I know, it's never been green, except maybe when I eat a lot of spinach...then it's green, and it floats...roughage, you know...who the heck is ZMAN, and why should I care?

I don't know.

Why should you care about anything? We all die anyway.

ZMAN went on the philosophy page and asked what his poo was made of.

gravy actually makes a proper point, completely unrelated to poop. It seems to come down to id vs. ego. The base instictive desire (id) versus the formation of the ego through learning. Then we have the superego, Freud's state of complete understanding of one's self and psyche. Many confuse id and ego. When one acts selfishly or in an inappropriate manner, they are accused of having to much ego, when in fact, it is id.

Poor ZMAN...the answer is "You are what you eat"

INSTINCT__'"chicken is on our list of foods"

INNATE KNOWLEDGE__"we cook it first"

FORESIGHT: "incorporating and franchising your image and secret recipe"

Red..; i'm just copying my post from ......Kant....... here as it applies 2 the question:

Red; i couldn't DISagree with u more! relative 2 u're 'inate' comments;
re: the apple, an infant doesn't understand 'appleness' at all, in fact 4 the 1st few days of existence it cannot even discern objects from background.
all this is learned, at a furious rate as the infant sponges in everything in its ken. it does, however, eventually learn that an apple is solid, sweet (depending on the apple first experienced), juicey, and (a logic deduction) desirable, or not depending on its own personnal, 'inate' set of preferrences.
u know that some things, beer, cigars, oysters, etc., etc., are referred 2 as aquired tastes; this is in reference 2 the fact that most poeple's 'inate' (inborn, or instinctive - part of the genetic makeup) preferrences find these things initially somewhat offensive, but largely due 2 peer pressure, they keep experimenting, and begin to appreciate the subtle flavours - 'aquire' a 'taste' 4 them.
the newborn infant also will react 2 an extreme sensory message, a loud noise, flash of light, sour taste, etc., with a 'fear' reaction, immediately crying 4 parental protection from whatever it was; this is instinct; inate reactions genetically programmed 2 protect the infant from possible harm.
sex is another area where instinct plays (or at least used 2) a sizeable role; a sexually arroused couple, instinctively know what 2 do in the throws of mating, be they humans, or donkeys. they do 'what comes naturally'; however what they do not understand (in the case of the humans, this is relative 2 the distant past) is the connection between sexual activity, and procreation; intercourse was always considered as a pleasurable activity, and only when it became apparent that it in some way related to pregnancy, did sex aquire the immoral stigma placed upon it to minimize the social dammage that imature parenthood could do to struggling post primitive societies (unfortunatley it stuck, a bit too long).
it is VERY important 2 recognize the difference between instinctive, and learned behaviour, and if u look at it logically it is pretty obvious!
i also read most of Kant's critique of PR, and found it boring, and seriously flawed; i would suggest more accessible philosophers who have had the benefit of contemporary knowledge, such as Bertram Russell e.g. 4 bebinning 2 build a personnal philosophical base.

and an aside 2 NNY;
don't forget 1 man's ****, is another vegetables fertilizer!