Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Book details
- Title
- Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding
- Publication year listed
- 1882
- Format
- Public domain eBook
- Reading access
- Free online reader; no registration required
- Source record
- View on Archive.org
About this book
Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Author: John Locke
Year: 1882
Published in 1690, Locke’s Essay is a foundational text in empiricist philosophy, challenging the notion of innate ideas and arguing that all human knowledge arises from experience. The work is divided into four books, each tackling a different aspect of human cognition and understanding. Main Argument: Refutes the Cartesian claim that humans are born with innate ideas. Locke argues that: No idea is universally accepted by all humans. Ideas must be acquired through experience, not embedded at birth. This sets the stage for his empirical approach to knowledge. Book II: Of Ideas Core Concept: The mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate). All ideas come from two sources: Sensation: External sensory input (e.g., color, sound). Reflection: Internal observation of mental processes (e.g., thinking, willing). Ideas are categorized as: Simple Ideas: Basic sensory impressions. Complex Ideas: Formed by combining simple ideas through comparison, abstraction, and composition. Locke also introduces the distinction between: Primary Qualities: Objective (e.g., shape, motion). Secondary Qualities: Subjective (e.g., color, taste). Book III: Of Words Explores the relationship between language and ideas. W