Content Analysis on Locke's An Essay on Concerning Human Understanding

Essay by wahhead77University, Bachelor'sB+, December 2002

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While deeming external experience - sensation, as replica of reality and phenomenal images, many empiricists were unaware the consequences with regarded to their theory on knowledge. From this, they still somewhat upon in which to develop a metaphysics that is absolute and complete. On the other hand, for Locke, he assessed that external sensation are just merely subjective presentation. He presented his theory of knowledge in which subjective presentations devoid any relation with external entities. From this, Locke provided us a logic on Empiricism as external experiences are just phenomena of knowledge. While denying any constant metaphysical views on objective reality, unfortunately he neglected everything in his establishment of solutions for dilemma on knowledge, and gave us a theory that merely different from the scholastic. He also explained how difficult it is for us to extract from philosophy on being while appealing with well-known principles in Scholasticism. As Berkeley, and Hume lessened being to just subjective phenomenon, both philosophers merely provided a logical and valid conclusion that Locke had proposed.

In the doctrine of Descartes' Meditation, Descartes assessed that we possess some innate ideas in our intellectual mind. For this, Locke offered a negation on Descartes' innate principles by writing the book Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In his doctrine, Locke assessed one would be conscious with innate ideas if they exist prior to having experiences. However, for people like savage, the untutored ones, and even children are unaware with innate ideas; they gain knowledge through experiences during their lifespan. It is unfeasible for anyone to have knowledge of some sort in which he is unconscious about. Moreover, with notion of God and moral / social beliefs are distant from being inborn, they varied in personal, societal and historical aspects. Therefore, at the distinct moment of our beings, there are...