▁that ▁if ▁one ▁did ▁not ▁previously ▁know ▁something , ▁then ▁they ▁cannot ▁learn ▁it . ▁ ▁He ▁describes ▁learning ▁as ▁a ▁pass ive ▁process , ▁where ▁information ▁and ▁knowledge ▁are ▁iron ed ▁into ▁the ▁soul ▁over ▁time . ▁ ▁However , ▁Pl ato ' s ▁theory ▁el ic its ▁even ▁more ▁questions ▁about ▁knowledge : ▁If ▁we ▁can ▁only ▁learn ▁something ▁when ▁we ▁already ▁had ▁the ▁knowledge ▁im pressed ▁onto ▁our ▁sou ls , ▁then ▁how ▁did ▁our ▁sou ls ▁gain ▁that ▁knowledge ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place ? ▁ ▁Pl ato ' s ▁theory ▁can ▁seem ▁con vol uted ; ▁however , ▁his ▁classical ▁theory ▁can ▁still ▁help ▁us ▁understand ▁knowledge ▁today . ▁ ▁Lock e ▁ ▁John ▁Lock e ▁( 1 6 3 2 – 1 7 0 4 ) ▁offered ▁an ▁answer ▁to ▁Pl ato ' s ▁question ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁Lock e ▁offered ▁the ▁" blank ▁sl ate " ▁theory ▁where ▁humans ▁are ▁born ▁into ▁the ▁world ▁with ▁no ▁inn ate ▁knowledge ▁and ▁are ▁ready ▁to ▁be ▁written ▁on ▁and ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁environment . ▁The ▁think er ▁maintained ▁that ▁knowledge ▁and ▁ideas ▁origin ate ▁from ▁two ▁sources , ▁which ▁are ▁sens ation ▁and ▁reflection . ▁The ▁former ▁provides ▁ins ights ▁regarding ▁external ▁objects ▁( including ▁their ▁properties ) ▁while ▁the ▁latter ▁provides ▁the ▁ideas ▁about ▁one ' s ▁mental ▁fac ult ies ▁( vol ition ▁and ▁understanding ). ▁In ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁empir ic ism , ▁these ▁sources ▁are ▁direct ▁experience ▁and ▁observation . ▁Lock e , ▁like