William Whewell was a prominent English philosopher of the 19th century who made important advances in philosophy, science, and education. One of his main points highlights the fact that basic ideas and principles originate from the nature and operation of the human mind rather than being exclusively drawn from our experiences.

Before you begin to explore the world around you, picture your mind as a garden that has already been seeded. These seeds stand for fundamental concepts and ideas that are present in your mind regardless of any particular experience. As you explore the world and acquire new experiences, these experiences serve as the seeds' equivalent of water and sunlight, fostering their growth and development.

According to Whewell, our thoughts have an independent basis even though they are continuously influenced by the data we take in from our senses and interactions with the outside world. Different from any specific experience or event in life, this foundation is a component of who we are as thinking beings.

To further explain this point, think about how kids are able to classify objects before they are able to express these ideas orally. They automatically classify items, such as fruits, into common groups without requiring specific guidance. This illustrates how the mind already contains some organizing principles that only require experiences to become more refined and distinct.

Whewell's observations, which emphasize the intricate interaction between our innate cognitive frameworks and the ongoing process of learning from experience, have had a long-lasting influence on our understanding of the relationship between learned knowledge and innate mental structures.