Summary Of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding By John Locke

In 1689 John Locke wrote An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In his essay, he analyzes the human mind at the start of birth. He argues questions about how one thinks and perceives. He believes the mind starts out as a “tabula rasa,” meaning a blank tablet, at birth and as we begin to experience things through our senses our mind begins to form.
Author’s Viewpoint John Locke is considered one of the first British empiricists. Empiricisms is the belief that knowledge is from sense-experience (Age Of Sage). This means our knowledge of our surrounding is based from our senses rather than from deduction of past experiences. The Essay is separated out into 4 books. In book one, Locke refutes Descartes and many other philosopher’s ideas on innate ideas. Locke separates his argument into two: innate principles and singular ideas. He argues that if we are born with imprinted ideas then children and mentally disabled should be able to articulate truths. He also says that everyone everywhere and no matter what age should be
He starts off by defining what knowledge is; “…perception of the connexion and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of any of our ideas” (ebook). He elaborates on this idea and says that if perception isn’t there one many hypothesize, but will always fall short of full knowledge. This definition of knowledge allows for knowledge to be obtained even if a person disagrees with their obscured idea of something. Locke continues on to define what he means by “conexion and agreement” and “disagreement and repugnancy.” Connection can be perceived when someone relates one idea to another. Disagreement can be perceived when one relates an idea to be different than another. He thinks there are four ways this agreement and disagreement of ideas can happen: Identity or diversity, Relation, Co-existence or necessary connection, and real