The Latin term “tabula rasa” means “clean slate” and indicates an absence of preconceived ideas. It is used especially in relation to the mind and was introduced by the English philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) as a metaphor for the human mind at birth. Locke believed that the mind is originally empty and that all knowledge comes through the senses [1].
e.g. “No, the extremist view is to believe that we are born tabula rasa — the product of our environment and nothing else.”
The phrase in English, “a clean slate,” is used slightly differently to indicate an absence of existing commitments.
e.g. “My retirement will enable the performance director to commence their duties with a clean slate with a new support team going forward.”
“Swansea will go into their massive cup tie with Manchester City on Saturday with a clean slate, renewed motivation, and presumably, a new penalty taker.”
[1] Colman, Andrew M. “tabula rasa” in A Dictionary of Psychology. Oxford University Press, 2015.
Photo credit: Nic McPhee
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