Locke
John (1632-1704)
Two Treatises on government (1689) Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) Does a physiology or psychology of human knowledge Influences of Newton, Descartes, Galileo Empiricism & `ideas' Truth means that outside subjects are accurately represented in our minds We see a tree as a tree
Our knowledge comes from perception No innate ideas Mind is `tabula rasa' Primary Qualities Qualities in the actual object that we see They are quantifiable Secondary Qualities The way that we see the primary qualities. We see color instead of wavelength. Complex Ideas Are just simple ideas all jumbled together Justice Beauty
Balance Unity Harmony
Complex ideas can't necessarily be pointed to God Representative realism The problem of substance Substances are not qualities They are the things that have qualities
So how do we perceive substances A substance has qualities. idea Every that we have has to be a perceived idea, no innate ideas Substance must be an innate idea because it is not a qualitie. We cannot perceive substance It is the canvas beneath the canvas So where does the idea of substance come from Ethics: Natural Law theory There are natural laws in the world But natural laws are not innate in us
Political theory Human nature
Much more optimistic view of human beings (contrary to Hobbes)
State of nature In the state of nature, we are wild But it is not a state of war (as Hobbes says) People come together and form a state out of convenience
Rights Social contract Social contract is between the citizens and the apparatus of the state The state is there to make life easier
Tolerance Argues for toleration But not for atheists or Jews Pretty much just for protestants and Catholics
Rebellion You have a duty to rebel if the government is bad