Molyneux's Problem
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28
CORE DEFINITION
Molyneux's problem is a thought experiment in philosophy concerning immediate recovery from blindness. It was first formulated by William Molyneux, and notably referred to in John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). 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, if given the ability to see, distinguish them by sight alone without touching them?
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Molyneux's problem is a thought experiment in philosophy concerning immediate recovery from blindness. It was first formulated by William Molyneux, and notably referred to in John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689). 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, if given the ability to see, distinguish them by sight alone without touching them?
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This is the same as Molyneux's problem (alternate transliteration): after a congenitally blind person regains sight, can they visually recognize shapes previously known only through touch, without touching them again? It explores whether knowledge acquired through different senses is interchangeable.
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- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molyneux%27s_problemverified
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