An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke: Summary & Analysis
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding: John Locke's Enlightenment Masterpiece John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, published in 1689 (formally dated 1690), stands as a seminal work of Enlightenment philosophy and is considered a foundational text that paved the way for the later Enlightenment. It addresses fundamental questions about human understanding and knowledge, making Locke a significant figure in the history of philosophy. Summary of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding In the Essay, Locke challenges the prevailing rationalist notion, espoused by Descartes and others, that ideas can be innate within the human mind. He argues that when babies are born, their minds are empty, comparing them to a blank slate, or tabula rasa. According to Locke, human minds acquire knowledge and ideas through experience rather than having them preexisting within us. This marks Locke's commitment to empiricism, contrasting with rationalism. He posits that knowledge and…