ABSTRACT
A major point of difference between the philosophical positions of René Descartes and John Locke, dating from the 17th century, has continued not only through the history of general psychology (Boring, 1950), but also through the history of one small section of psychology: the understanding of the nature of human intelligence. This dichotomy between the Cartesian and Lockian approaches is as fundamental as the two epistemologies they came to represent: empiricism (Locke) and rationalism (Descartes).
