Philosophy
John Locke’s Epistemology
An introduction to Locke’s theory of human perception.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “(Francis) Bacon, (John) Locke, and (Isaac) Newton…I consider them as the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any exception, and as having laid the foundations of those superstructures which have been raised in the Physical & Moral sciences.”
Jefferson mentions John Locke (1632–1704) with good reason. Locke was an intellectual giant within his own lifetime and remains one of the most important philosophers. He is equally well known for his political philosophy and his epistemology (the study of knowledge and perception). Locke talks more about beliefs than knowledge because, as he correctly observes, every idea we have is a belief. Locke was concerned primarily with establishing the limits of human understanding and the grounds of our beliefs. Locke was, therefore, interested in understanding how it is we come to our beliefs.
Locke’s philosophical influences were Rene Descartes, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton. This is part of why I stressed the importance of Descartes’ scientific method. Locke didn’t see Descartes as a dreamy meditator. He understood that Descartes’ rules for clear thinking and forming justified beliefs was a way forward for science. Locke, like Descartes, was…
