We live in a world which invites challenge, the necessity of which allows us to improve. When we are unprepared for a challenge, we typically fail. Preparation is vital. Richard Flavell, the thinker behind the interplay of metacognition, sparked a revolution of how those with mental disabilities ought to be perceived. In the past, thinkers such as Descartes, Locke, and Freud, shared their thoughts on the mind, how we think, and the knowledge we are, or aren't programmed with, play major factors in the evolution of how those with mental disabilities are treated, perceived, and feared from the 17th century to present day. In my paper, I will argue that peoples with mental disabilities are not worthless, or hopelessly inadequate, but due to their mental disability, lack strength in metacognition; and therefore, throughout the 17th-21st century England have been severely mistreated, misjudged, and even feared, but must now be looked upon as citizens, as opposed to mad men, and lunatics. .
In the past, great philosophers and thinkers alike came up with the accepted ideas of the unconscious mind of their respected time. To begin, Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is responsible for the world renowned phrase –I think, therefore I am. This was the first appearance of the concept According to Descartes, the body was the only thing that could be studied, and the mind was of the soul, and therefore, incapable of comprehension. Descartes' view of the mind was limited- simply put; we are born with preconceived innate ideas, such that God exists, along with basic arithmetic that all humans know. Moving forward in history, John Locke (1632-1704) challenged Descartes' view, and theorized that instead of being born with innate ideas, our minds are similar to a blank slate- written on by experience alone. Coining the phrase, "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree", Locke emphasized the importance childhood development has on behavior, forewarning that the ways a child is brought up will have life long lasting implications.