John locke an essay concerning human understanding 01

AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDIN JOHN LOCKE COLLATED AND ANNOTATED, IVITH PROLEGOMENA, BIOGRAPHICAL, CRITICAL, AND HISTORICAL BY ALEXANDER CAMPBELL ERASER HON D.C.L , OXFORD EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF LOGIC AND METAPHYSICS IN THK UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH IN TWO VOLUMES VOL I AT THE CLARENDON PRESS M.DCCC.XCIV Oxfoi;* PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BV HOKACE HAKT PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY Although increased ago, by release lecture-room, leisure, from may gained more than two years the pnhlic duties of the Edinburgh have hardly compensated for abatement of strength in the evening of a portion of that strength life, I have gladly devoted this to connexion with Locke ; in succession labour to the of love in development of the philosophy of Berkeley in which I was before engaged In each undertaking I have been encouraged by the countenance of the illustrious University, associated with the historic memories of many was forgotten that Oxford and the chosen retreat and academic home of Locke, the of the old age of Berkeley I desire in particular taries, has not centuries, zvhich to thank the other officials the Delegates, the Secre- of the Clarendon Press for their kindness, in the course of those critical reconstructions of Berkeley I am and Locke, during indebted to Professor the last twenty-five years Andrew Seth, my distin- University of Edinburgh, for guished successor in reading the proofs of the greater part of the present work, and for valuable suggestions In the preparation assistance of Mr the of the Index I have had the able Henry Barker A Gorton House, IIawthornden, Mid-Lothian Fehi-uary 9, 1894 : C F CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME PROLEGOMENA, BIOGRAPHICAL, CRITICAL, AND HISTORICAL PRELIMINARY Editions and Interpretations of Locke s Essay {A.) I II What Preparation tor the Essay IV Publication of the Essay: London (1689-gi) ; in : II Knowledge : CRITICAL Structure of the Essay Ideas the first Element in Connexion or Repugnance of Ideas, « second Element liv Iviii Ixxv I'xxviii Human Knowledge of Real Existences Self, God, and Outward Things Human Knowledge of Ideas co-existing as Attributes and : Powers viii Knowledge Perception, a third Element VII xxvi xxxvii xxxix IV VI Contemporary Critics of the Essay (1691- III V • (.5.) I xviii London, France, and Holland (1670-89) 1704) xvi Oxford, and London (1632-70) Preparation OF THE Essay Locke at Oates PAGE xi Locke's Early Life in Somer- : III V BIOGRAPHICAL gave rise to the Essay (1670) set, in Particular Substances Human Knowledge of Ideas in their Abstract Relations Faith instead of Omniscience Ixxxi xcii cviii cxviii Contents viii HISTORICAL (C.) PAGE The Essay as u The Essay as Berkeley: Spiritual Philosophy' in in David Hume : cxxvi Philosophical Nescience cxxxiv AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMANE UNDERSTANDING, IN FOUR BOOKS, BY JOHN LOCKE Earl of Pembroke Epistle Dedicatory to the The Epistle to the Reader Introduction BOOK 25 I NEITHER PRINCIPLES NOR IDEAS ARE INNATE CMM' II HI No Innate Speculative Principles No Innate Practical Principles Other considerations concerning Innate Speculative and Practical BOOK 37 64 Principles, both 92 II OF IDEAS I ^ Of Ideas in general, III Of Simple Of Simple IV Idea of Solidity 11 v VI VII, viii Of Simple Of Simple Of Simple Some Ideas and their Original Ideas of Sensation A XI 121 144 148 151 Ideas of Divers Senses igS Ideas of Reflection i^q Ideas of both Sensation and Reflection igg further considerations concerning our Simple Ideas of Sensation IX Of Perception 183 Of Retention Of Discerning, and other operations of the Mind 166 193 202 Contents CHAP XII Of Complex XIII Of Simple Modes XIV Idea of Duration and Ideas XVI XVII XVIII PACE 213 and THE Idea of Space XV Ideas of : IX First, of its the Simple Modes of Simple Modes 218 Duration and Expansion, considered together Idea of Number and its Simple Modes Of the Idea of Infinity Of other Simple Modes 270 276 294 Of the Modes of Thinking XX Of Modes of Pleasure and Pain XXI Of the Idea of Power XIX 298 302 XXII xxiiL XXIV XXV XXVI Of Mixed Modes Of 308 Of our Complex Ideas of Substances Of Collective Ideas of Substances Of Ideas of Relation 238 424 • 426 Ideas of Cause and Effect, and other Relatiok.s 433 [Of Ideas of Identity and Diversity] 439' XXVIII Of Ideas of other Relations 471 XXIX Of Of Of Of Clear and Obscure, Distinct and Confused Ideas XXVII XXX XXXI XXXII Real and Fantastical Ideas 486 497 Adequate and Inadequate Ideas 502 True and False Ideas 514 xxxiH [Of the Association of Ideas] 527 ERRATA Page 6y,/i>r 70 feaii § § 72 113', line i,/or This ntui 155, insert § opposite 156, iiiseyt § opposite Now marginal anatysis, marginal analysis ^Q)i^,for initiating ;-«rf irritating «« quotation from Prof Huxley 9, line 2, /or ch rmrfcli 241^, line 17, insert not before impossible 260^, line 12^ for ibrmer 3o8\ yir ' Inquiry, «arf 315', line 6, insert full stop Ch xxvii, in the latter sect, vi.' zYcfi? numbering of the a/i!f?- §§, ' Inquiry, sect, vii.' motives numbers 10 and 11 are repeated PROLEGOMENA BIOGRAPHICAL, CRITICAL, HISTORICAL AND PRELIMINARY EDITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF LOCKE'S ESSAY Few books in the literature of philosophy have so widely represented the spirit of the age and country in which they or have so influenced opinion afterwards, as Locke's Essay concerning Human Understanding The art of education, political thought, theology, and philo- appeared, Historical l™"'^"'^^ Essay sophy, especially in Britain, France, and America, long bore the stamp of the Essay, or of reaction against it, to an extent that is not explained by the comprehensiveness of Locke's thought, or by the force of his genius In the fourteen years that elapsed between its first appearance in 1690 and its author's death, the Essay passed through four editions, followed by more than forty in the course of last century, abridgments, and besides From French the first and by many the book since, and was the subject of translations into Latin and the occasion of controversy Opposite interupon its doctrines by its innumerable critics, from Stillingfleet and Leibniz in Locke's lifetime Condillac with the French Encyclopaedists, and Reid with his followers in Scotland, in last century to criticism, pretations have been put ; ; Editions ^2^^^'^' Ml Prolegomena Coleridge, Cousin, and Green, who treat the Essay as an incoherent expression of sensuous empiricism, or Webb and Tagart, with some recent German critics, who lay on its recognition of intuitive reason For a long time the Essay has been named more than stress Critics of the Essay have historians of philosophy candid that without dealt with it largely at second hand comparison of parts with the spirit and design of the whole, which is necessary in the case of a book that deals with it has been studied Even ; philosophy the inexact language of in common life also without sufficient allowance for the fact that composed by a man of affairs, who discussed ; it and was questions appropriated by abstract philosophy with a view to the Commentaries of Lee and Leibniz immediate interests of human life, as his occasional employment, in an unphilosophical age It has been remarked as curious that there should be no collated and annotated edition of this English philosophical classic, notwithstanding the successive changes introduced in the four English editions published under Locke's eye, and the prolonged controversial discussion of It is true that even before Locke's death it was made the subject of elaborate comment, by Henry Lee, the Essay rector of Tichmarsh in Northamptonshire, in his Anti- or Notes iipon each chapter of Mr Locke s Essay, with mi explication of all the particulars of zvhich he treats, and in the same order Of this work Stewart remarks, that Scepticism : the strictures, often acute and sometimes just, are marked throughout with a fairness and candour rarely to be met ' with in controversial writers ' ; and, according to the James Mackintosh, Lee 'has stated the question of innate ideas more fully than Shaftesbury, or even Leibniz.' A more celebrated commentary on the Essay was that of Leibniz, in his posthumous Nonveaiix Essais sttr I Entendement Humain, written before Locke judgment of died, but Sir not published till 1765 In the inconvenient form of dialogue, the doctrines of the Essay are here discussed chapter by chapter, between the interlocutors, in the eclectic spirit which thus appears in the opening sentences Essay on the Understanding' he ' The of the preface Englishman, being one of the most illustrious says, 'by an : — Of True and 521 From what 16 think I False Ideas has been said concerning our simple ideas, book 11 ~**~ evident that our simple ideas can none of them be it false in respect of things existing without us For the truth of xxxn these appearances or perceptions in our minds consisting, as simple has been said, only in their being answerable to the powers in ^^^^^ '^*" none of external objects to produce by our senses such appearances them be , , , , and each of them being ° in the mind such as it is, suitable to the power that produced it, and which alone it represents, it cannot upon that account, or as referred to such a pattern, be false Blue and yellow, bitter or sweet, can never be false ideas these perceptions in the mind are just such as they are there, answering the powers appointed by God to produce them and so are truly what they are, and are intended to be Indeed the names may be misapplied, but in us, ' '^^'^^ '" respect of real ^^^^ ^"'^'^' : ; that in this respect man makes no falsehood in the ideas ; as if a ignorant in the English tongue should call purple scarlet ^- Secondly, neither can our complex ideas of modes, in 17 reference to the essence of anything really existing, be false because whatever complex ideas c I have of any mode, , , is not supposed to contain in , It , hath ; it , made by no reference to any pattern existmg, and it ; hath nature ; of ideas as it does Thus, when ^ man who any other ideas than what I have the idea of such an forbears to afford himself such meat, and clothing, and other conveniences of life, as his and estate will be sufficient to supply and his station requires, I have no false idea but such an one as represents an action, either as I find or imagine it, and so is capable of neither truth nor falsehood But when I give the name frugality or virtue to this action, then it may be called a false idea, if thereby it be supposed to agree with that idea to drink, riches ; name which, in propriety of speech, the in all men, as situation the their ideas of size are phenomena This is illustrated and by of colour blindness of frugality doth by substances, are same reason that they are actually presented true, for the all real and adequate Cf § 14, closely (Prof followed in opportunity for comparison.) ^ What of the simple modes of space and duration ? He seems to rank them with simple ideas Cf Bk III ch iv Rutherford reports rare cases in which the defective sense of colour was limited to one eye, thus giving ' Allsimpleideas, i.e all phenomena § 17 ; § 15 ix § 19 fai°e^can°' not be false in it reference nor to represent anything but such a complication action of a Secondly, toessences of things Essay concerning 52 BOOK II belong, or 7**~ ^'^' Understanding to be conformable to that law which of virtue and vice XXXII Human complex ideas of substances, being all may be false That when looked upon as the representations of referred to patterns in things themselves, Ideas they are stances the !",^y^^ false in needs nothing ° to be said of reference that chimerical supposition all false, unknown of Simple essences of things, ideas in ^, is so evident that there shall therefore pass over '^ I it and consider them as simple ideas existing together constantly them collections the mind, taken from combinations of patterns they are the supposed copies of the standard Thirdly, our Thirdly thinKs^''"^ is ^ ; ^ in things, of and which in this reference to the existence of things, they are false ideas : When they put together simple ideas, which in the real existence of things have no union as when to the shape and (i) ; size that exist together in a horse, is joined in the same complex idea the power of barking like a dog which three ideas, however put together into one in the mind, were never united in nature and this, therefore, may be called a false : ; idea of a horse also false, when, [%) Ideas of substances are, in this respect, from any collection of simple ideas that always exist together, there tion, them is separated, any other simple idea which Thus, if is by a direct nega- constantly joined with to extension, solidity, fusibility, the peculiar weightiness, and yellow colour of gold, any one join in his thoughts the negation of a greater degree of fixedness than is in lead or copper, he may be said to have a false complex idea, as well as when he joins to those other simple ones the For either way, the complex idea of gold being made up of such simple ones as have no union in nature, may be termed false But, if he leave idea of perfect absolute fixedness out of this his complex idea that of fixedness quite, without either actually joining to or separating it from the rest in his Mixed modes cannot be false, he says, because they are formed by the individual, and not refer to real existence Yet he recognises the referenceofsomeof them to 'that law which is the standard of virtue and vice,' the immutability and eternity of which he elsewhere acknowledges ' ' ' ^ Cf ch xxxi § by observing the parwhich they appear, correspondence with which constitutes their 'truth'; and 'existing ' ' taken,' i e ticular substances in together constantly^ so that they can be the subjects of universal propositions Of mind, it is, True and False Ideas, 523 be looked on as an inadequate and book since, though it con- I think, to imperfect idea, ratlier than a false one tains not all the simple ideas that are united in nature, yet puts none together but what 11 I^ ; it xxxil really exist together Though, in compliance with the ordinary way of speakhave shown in what sense and upon what ground our ideas may be sometimes called true or false yet if we will Truth or where any idea is called true or false, it is from some judgment that the mind makes, or is supposed to make, that is true or false For tion or 19 ing, I 111-1 look a little -1 ; nearer into the matter, in cases all some truth or falsehood, being never without negation, express or tacit, it is disagreement of the things they stand are either ideas or words mental or verbal propositions either or separating joining ; '' for agreement or The signs we wherewith we make Truth lies in so these representatives, as more falsehood in the contrary, as shall be the things fully and shown here; Any 30 idea, then, which we have in our minds, whether conformable or not to the existence of things, or to any idea in ^^8""°"- affirmation or they stand for in themselves agree or disagree after Amrma- not to be found but where signs are joined or separated, according to the chiefly use always supposes ideas in neither the minds of other men, cannot properly for this alone be '™^ "oi" For these representations, if they have nothing them but what is really existing in things without, cannot called false in false, being exact representations of something: they have anything in them differing from the of things, can they properly be said to be false repre- be thought nor yet reality if sentations, or ideas of things they mistake and falsehood 21 First, is not when the mind having any concludes it the same that by the same name or that ; represent But the : is it idea, it judges and ^ut men's minds, signified conformable to the ordinary in other is when indeed mixed modes, received signification or definition of that word, not which is the most usual mistake though ° other ideas also are liable to it it is : ' Cf Bli IV ch xxi § '' Cf in Bk IV chh i when l^^'^lg^yg to another jjea, without being so v-viii are Essay concerning 524 BOOK When aa (a) II it Human Understanding having a complex idea made up of such a collection of simple ones as nature never puts together, Chap XXXII Pi-[...]... priori as an abstraction ^- Our human understanding of the universe, and the extent to which intelligence can with rience, us penetrate into reality, was for Locke a concrete problem, that had to be determined in a well-considered experience human mind It was the knowledge of things that meji are capable of, and its source not any theory of a knowledge more comprehensive than the human not an a priori... of the Essay concerning Human Understandmg history of Locke' s Prolegomena xvlii II Locke' s bl^ho^o".? in a Puritan family Biographical : PREPARATION FOR THE ESSAY: LOCKE' S EARLY LIFE IN SOMERSET, OXFORD, AND LONDON (1632-70.) scanty That Information about Locke' s eai'ly history is Somersetshire respectable he was the elder of two sons, in a sympathies— that he was family, of Roundhead and Puritan under... Revolution, as well as principles of social economy and jurisprudence which anticipated Hume and Adam Smith, and were in advance of Grotiusand Puffendorf, were defended in his anonymous Treatise on Government, also written in Holland, which came out early in the following year Publica- Essay March ' ^°' m These two were pioneers of the Essay concerning Human Understanding, which at last issued from the press... and that converted the amateur physician, and shy student of ' human life, now the secretary and friend of the intriguing author of the Essay concerning Human politician, into the Understanding The bent °/'''^, tilOUEntS in Locke' s commonplace-books during those London throw some light on first years in mind in which fragment, De Arte Medica, the condition of A Essay was undertaken dated in 1668, amongst... French version of Co.ste, done under Locke' s supervision The successive changes are bracketed, many of them significant, especially those which express his oscillation of opinion about power ' in moral agency, in Bk IL ch xxi The archaic orthography of the original title Essay concerning Humane Understanding is retained on the title-page of the Essay, but is exchanged ' — body of the work for the modern... of human knowledge, and sense of the dependence of our ideas of things on our experience of what things are, and not on innate resources of our own, that Locke proposed by an historical or matter-of-fact examination of what human parts of natural philosophy ; — ' ' ' when it tries to understand existing things—to guard men against unwarranted assumptions and verbal abstractions, made to do duty for understanding' ... that he little light brought thereby to his understanding became discontented with his manner of life, and wished that his father had rather designed him for anything else than what he was there destined to.' He sought the company of pleasant and witty men, whom he delighted to meet, and in conversation and correspondence much of his time was then spent.' Anthony Wood, one of his college ' ' ' ' ' ;... his social intercourse in France was with physicians, naturalists, jurists, and travellers not much, if at all, with metaphysicians Yet that was the brilliant period of French speculative thought, represented by Nicole, Arnauld, and Malebranche Leibniz coming into view in Germany, and when Spinoza was withdrawn by death in Holland It does not appear that Locke met Malebranche, unless one may infer... the various and unknown interests, humours, and follows it of men, and not upon any settled ideas of things— of capable that Physics, Polity, and Prudence are not demonstration but a man is principally helped in them by the history of matter of fact, and a sagacity in inquiring into probable causes, and finding out an analogy in their operations and effects Knowledge then depends upon right and true ideas... a defect ; : ' ' in his understanding. ' Descartes, often named in Locke' s probably influenced him more than any metaphysical philosopher, not only by his analytic intrepidity, but by his introspective method He may have suggested the very question about human knowledge and its limits which led to the Essay~ -d question which Descartes letters to Stillingfleet, says that any man who loves truth must ... famous, and that converted the amateur physician, and shy student of ' human life, now the secretary and friend of the intriguing author of the Essay concerning Human politician, into the Understanding. .. Essay (169 1- III V • (.5.) I xviii London, France, and Holland (167 0-8 9) 1704) xvi Oxford, and London (163 2-7 0) Preparation OF THE Essay Locke at Oates PAGE xi Locke' s Early Life in Somer-... PAGE The Essay as u The Essay as Berkeley: Spiritual Philosophy' in in David Hume : cxxvi Philosophical Nescience cxxxiv AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMANE UNDERSTANDING, IN FOUR BOOKS, BY JOHN LOCKE