An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2Locke, John
Philosophy
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2
Locke, John
Knowledge, Theory of -- Early works to 1800
and confusion, which seemed to be as lasting as if graved in marble.
6. Constantly repeated Ideas can scarce be lost.
But concerning the ideas themselves, it is easy to remark, that those
that are oftenest refreshed (amongst which are those that are conveyed
into the mind by more ways than one) by a frequent return of the
objects or actions that produce them, fix themselves best in the
memory, and remain clearest and longest there; and therefore those
which are of the original qualities of bodies, viz. solidity,
extension, figure, motion, and rest; and those that almost constantly
affect our bodies, as heat and cold; and those which are the affections
of all kinds of beings, as existence, duration, and number, which
almost every object that affects our senses, every thought which
employs our minds, bring along with them;—these, I say, and the like
ideas, are seldom quite lost, whilst the mind retains any ideas at all.
7. In Remembering, the Mind is often active.
In this secondary perception, as I may so call it, or viewing again the
ideas that are lodged in the memory, the mind is oftentimes more than
barely passive; the appearance of those dormant pictures depending
sometimes on the WILL. The mind very often sets itself on work in
search of some hidden idea, and turns as it were the eye of the soul
upon it; though sometimes too they start up in our minds of their own
accord, and offer themselves to the understanding; and very often are
roused and tumbled out of their dark cells into open daylight, by
turbulent and tempestuous passions; our affections bringing ideas to
our memory, which had otherwise lain quiet and unregarded. This further
is to be observed, concerning ideas lodged in the memory, and upon
occasion revived by the mind, that they are not only (as the word
REVIVE imports) none of them new ones, but also that the mind takes
notice of them as of a former impression, and renews its acquaintance
with them, as with ideas it had known before. So that though ideas
formerly imprinted are not all constantly in view, yet in remembrance
they are constantly known to be such as have been formerly imprinted;
i.e. in view, and taken notice of before, by the understanding.
8. Two defects in the Memory, Oblivion and Slowness.
Memory, in an intellectual creature, is necessary in the next degree to
perception. It is of so great moment, that, where it is wanting, all
the rest of our faculties are in a great measure useless. And we in our
thoughts, reasonings, and knowledge, could not proceed beyond present
objects, were it not for the assistance of our memories; wherein there
may be two defects:—
First, That it loses the idea quite, and so far it produces perfect
ignorance. For, since we can know nothing further than we have the idea
of it, when that is gone, we are in perfect ignorance.
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