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
5. Simple and mixed Modes of Ideas.
Of these MODES, there are two sorts which deserve distinct
consideration:—
First, there are some which are only variations, or different
combinations of the same simple idea, without the mixture of any
other;—as a dozen, or score; which are nothing but the ideas of so many
distinct units added together, and these I call SIMPLE MODES as being
contained within the bounds of one simple idea.
Secondly, there are others compounded of simple ideas of several kinds,
put together to make one complex one;—v.g. beauty, consisting of a
certain composition of colour and figure, causing delight to the
beholder; theft, which being the concealed change of the possession of
anything, without the consent of the proprietor, contains, as is
visible, a combination of several ideas of several kinds: and these I
call MIXED MODES.
6. Ideas of Substances, single or collective.
Secondly, the ideas of SUBSTANCES are such combinations of simple ideas
as are taken to represent distinct PARTICULAR things subsisting by
themselves; in which the supposed or confused idea of substance, such
as it is, is always the first and chief. Thus if to substance be joined
the simple idea of a certain dull whitish colour, with certain degrees
of weight, hardness, ductility, and fusibility, we have the idea of
lead; and a combination of the ideas of a certain sort of figure, with
the powers of motion, thought and reasoning, joined to substance, make
the ordinary idea of a man. Now of substances also, there are two sorts
of ideas:—one of SINGLE substances, as they exist separately, as of a
man or a sheep; the other of several of those put together, as an army
of men, or flock of sheep—which COLLECTIVE ideas of several substances
thus put together are as much each of them one single idea as that of a
man or an unit.
7. Ideas of Relation.
Thirdly, the last sort of complex ideas is that we call RELATION, which
consists in the consideration and comparing one idea with another.
Of these several kinds we shall treat in their order.
8. The abstrusest Ideas we can have are all from two Sources.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account