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An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Vol. 1
Excerpt from An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Vol. 1: In Four Books
Kindnefs, and other obliging Circum ances, that never failed to accompany them. To all this, you are pleated to add that which gives yet more Weight and Relilh to all the ref't You vouchfafe to continue me in fome Degrees of your Bfieem, and allow me a Place in your good Thoughts; I had almol't {aid Friendlhip. This, my Lord, your Words and Ae'rions fo confiantly fhew on all Oc cafions, even soothers when I am abfent, that it is not Vanity in me to mention what every body knows: But it would he want of good Manners, not to acknowledge what fo many are Witne es of, and every Day tell me, I am indebted to your Lordlhip for. I wifh they could as eafily afii; my Gratitude, as they convince me of the great and growing Engagements it has to your Lordthip. This I am fure, I {hould write of the Undez and Eng without having any, if I were not extremely fenfible of them, and did not lay hold on this Op portunity to teitify to the World, how much I am soblig'd to be, and how much I am.
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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."
Kindnefs, and other obliging Circum ances, that never failed to accompany them. To all this, you are pleated to add that which gives yet more Weight and Relilh to all the ref't You vouchfafe to continue me in fome Degrees of your Bfieem, and allow me a Place in your good Thoughts; I had almol't {aid Friendlhip. This, my Lord, your Words and Ae'rions fo confiantly fhew on all Oc cafions, even soothers when I am abfent, that it is not Vanity in me to mention what every body knows: But it would he want of good Manners, not to acknowledge what fo many are Witne es of, and every Day tell me, I am indebted to your Lordlhip for. I wifh they could as eafily afii; my Gratitude, as they convince me of the great and growing Engagements it has to your Lordthip. This I am fure, I {hould write of the Undez and Eng without having any, if I were not extremely fenfible of them, and did not lay hold on this Op portunity to teitify to the World, how much I am soblig'd to be, and how much I am.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."
424 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1689
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October 24, 2024Só os dois primeiros capítulos do livro III
January 16, 2016
I am reviewing Volume 1, books 1 and 2.
"An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding" by John Locke, is a difficult read. I would not recommend it if you are only interested in concise point-by-point descriptions of philosophical positions and arguments for them. As other reviewers have said Locke is long-winded and often repetitious.
I would recommend this book to people who are in one of several conditions. 1) You are interested in the intellectual history of western thought and and want to read original sources. I think this work should be considered essential for you. It is a pivotal work in western philosophy. 2) You have already read much of philosophy, including metaphysics and epistemology and are looking for a deep dive into one important philosophers views and arguments and you appreciate some dwelling on subjects, even if it includes repetition for the time it gives you to ponder the same subject. 3) You are a student of philosophy and are embarking on advanced study of empiricism. Since Locke is the founder of British empiricism and this book is Locke's major work on the subject, you will want to read this. 3) You just want to have read for yourself one of the classics of English literature and are intellectually tough and patient.
In this book Locke makes the case that we do not have innate ideas. ('Ideas' as used by Locke are essentially 'concepts'.) All ideas are from sensation or reflection, with the reflection using the simple ideas from sensation as its material. Locke explores many implications and applications of that thesis. Among them include an analysis of ideas that breaks them down into simple ideas and those derived from them by modes, combination, relation, etc. He examines the relationship between the ideas reality. How ideas are not the things themselves but produced by the power of things to produce the simple ideas in us. He puts forth a position about what the idea of substance is - how it is not a simple (direct) idea of an actually existing substance, but a collection of ideas that we observe together and the substance is assumed. It helps to understand the concept of substance (refer to descriptions of Aristotle's substance). He also puts forth an interesting thesis about case and effect, desire, will, and liberty, identity, and person. In the end he examines what it means for an idea to be adequate or inadequate and how ideas might relate to the concepts of true and false, with a discussion of how we associate ideas, rightly and wrongly.
"An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding" by John Locke, is a difficult read. I would not recommend it if you are only interested in concise point-by-point descriptions of philosophical positions and arguments for them. As other reviewers have said Locke is long-winded and often repetitious.
I would recommend this book to people who are in one of several conditions. 1) You are interested in the intellectual history of western thought and and want to read original sources. I think this work should be considered essential for you. It is a pivotal work in western philosophy. 2) You have already read much of philosophy, including metaphysics and epistemology and are looking for a deep dive into one important philosophers views and arguments and you appreciate some dwelling on subjects, even if it includes repetition for the time it gives you to ponder the same subject. 3) You are a student of philosophy and are embarking on advanced study of empiricism. Since Locke is the founder of British empiricism and this book is Locke's major work on the subject, you will want to read this. 3) You just want to have read for yourself one of the classics of English literature and are intellectually tough and patient.
In this book Locke makes the case that we do not have innate ideas. ('Ideas' as used by Locke are essentially 'concepts'.) All ideas are from sensation or reflection, with the reflection using the simple ideas from sensation as its material. Locke explores many implications and applications of that thesis. Among them include an analysis of ideas that breaks them down into simple ideas and those derived from them by modes, combination, relation, etc. He examines the relationship between the ideas reality. How ideas are not the things themselves but produced by the power of things to produce the simple ideas in us. He puts forth a position about what the idea of substance is - how it is not a simple (direct) idea of an actually existing substance, but a collection of ideas that we observe together and the substance is assumed. It helps to understand the concept of substance (refer to descriptions of Aristotle's substance). He also puts forth an interesting thesis about case and effect, desire, will, and liberty, identity, and person. In the end he examines what it means for an idea to be adequate or inadequate and how ideas might relate to the concepts of true and false, with a discussion of how we associate ideas, rightly and wrongly.
June 15, 2020
gut verständlich, wiederholt sich aber oft
June 7, 2023
I read this for the Great Books of the Western World ten-year reading project.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews