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
Indeed a man having, from reflecting on the succession and number of
his own thoughts, got the notion or idea of duration, he can apply that
notion to things which exist while he does not think; as he that has
got the idea of extension from bodies by his sight or touch, can apply
it to distances, where no body is seen or felt. And therefore, though a
man has no perception of the length of duration which passed whilst he
slept or thought not; yet, having observed the revolution of days and
nights, and found the length of their duration to be in appearance
regular and constant, he can, upon the supposition that that revolution
has proceeded after the same manner whilst he was asleep or thought
not, as it used to do at other times, he can, I say, imagine and make
allowance for the length of duration whilst he slept. But if Adam and
Eve, (when they were alone in the world,) instead of their ordinary
night’s sleep, had passed the whole twenty-four hours in one continued
sleep, the duration of that twenty-four hours had been irrecoverably
lost to them, and been for ever left out of their account of time.
6. The Idea of Succession not from Motion.
Thus by reflecting on the appearing of various ideas one after another
in our understandings, we get the notion of succession; which, if any
one should think we did rather get from our observation of motion by
our senses, he will perhaps be of my mind when he considers, that even
motion produces in his mind an idea of succession no otherwise than as
it produces there a continued train of distinguishable ideas. For a man
looking upon a body really moving, perceives yet no motion at all
unless that motion produces a constant train of successive ideas: v.g.
a man becalmed at sea, out of sight of land, in a fair day, may look on
the sun, or sea, or ship, a whole hour together, and perceive no motion
at all in either; though it be certain that two, and perhaps all of
them, have moved during that time a great way. But as soon as he
perceives either of them to have changed distance with some other body,
as soon as this motion produces any new idea in him, then he perceives
that there has been motion. But wherever a man is, with all things at
rest about him, without perceiving any motion at all,—if during this
hour of quiet he has been thinking, he will perceive the various ideas
of his own thoughts in his own mind, appearing one after another, and
thereby observe and find succession where he could observe no motion.
7. Very slow motions unperceived.
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