John Locke’s Theories of Knowledge
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Outline (Bennett, 2004)
I. Of the Origin of Ideas
Perception and Senses- Hume detailed the difference between what the mind perceives and how a person actually feels.
Limitlessness of the Human Imagination- The human mind’s capability of imagining has no bounds.
II. Skeptical Doubts Concerning the Operations of the Understanding
Two Kinds of Human Enquiry- The natural division of the human reason.
Relations of Ideas- These are ideas that are already certain and established (e.g. Arithmetics).
Matters of Fact- These are ideas that still have room for contradictions (e.g. it will snow tomorrow).
Cause and Effect Relation- This is where all human enquiries are founded upon.
Past Experiences- Hume discusses how the human’s idea of the future is anchored upon experiences from the past.
III. Skeptical Solutions of these Doubts- Human’s will only be able to reason, through cause and effect, when s/he has already gained much experience from this world.
John Locke’s Theories of Knowledge Outline
I. Absence of Innate Speculative Principles
Koinai Ennoiai- Humans have been born in this world with certain innate knowledge.
The Origin of Ideas- Men are not mere blank papers upon arrival into the world. Humans are able to associate certain objects and principles to something, through their experience.
II. Ideas of Sensation- Most of the ideas that humans have in their minds are formulated through the senses.
III. Contrasting Perceptions and Ideas- Locke differentiates the human perception and ideas.
IV. Manner of Producing Ideas- The different elements and factors concerned in the body’s process of producing Ideas, such as internal and external factors.
Original Qualities- Locke argues that humans base other perceptions on the “original quality” that are innate to them.
Secondary Qualities- These are ideas produced through the human senses.
References
Bennett, J. (2004, July). Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume [PDF].
