Molyneux's Problem
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[edit] The General Issue
In response to John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, scientist and politician William Molyneux responds to Locke's empiricist writings by posing a problem that involves the differences between modes of perceptions and true understanding. The problem can be stated in brief, "if a man born blind can feel the differences between shapes such as spheres and cubes, could he similarly distinguish those objects by sight if given the ability to see?".
This problem has been addressed by many of the preeminent thinkers of the generation, with varying conclusions. Locke himself believed that sight and touch were entirely different sense perceptions and thus the blind man could not distinguish the sphere from the cube at first sight.
