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
True notions concerning the nature and extent of LIBERTY are of so
great importance, that I hope I shall be pardoned this digression,
which my attempt to explain it has led me into. The ideas of will,
volition, liberty, and necessity, in this Chapter of Power, came
naturally in my way. In a former edition of this Treatise I gave an
account of my thoughts concerning them, according to the light I then
had. And now, as a lover of truth, and not a worshipper of my own
doctrines, I own some change of my opinion; which I think I have
discovered ground for. In what I first writ, I with an unbiassed
indifferency followed truth, whither I thought she led me. But neither
being so vain as to fancy infallibility, nor so disingenuous as to
dissemble my mistakes for fear of blemishing my reputation, I have,
with the same sincere design for truth only, not been ashamed to
publish what a severer inquiry has suggested. It is not impossible but
that some may think my former notions right; and some (as I have
already found) these latter; and some neither. I shall not at all
wonder at this variety in men’s opinions: impartial deductions of
reason in controverted points being so rare, and exact ones in abstract
notions not so very easy especially if of any length. And, therefore, I
should think myself not a little beholden to any one, who would, upon
these or any other grounds, fairly clear this subject of LIBERTY from
any difficulties that may yet remain.
75. Summary of our Original ideas.
And thus I have, in a short draught, given a view of OUR ORIGINAL
IDEAS, from whence all the rest are derived, and of which they are made
up; which, if I would consider as a philosopher, and examine on what
causes they depend, and of what they are made, I believe they all might
be reduced to these very few primary and original ones, viz. EXTENSION,
SOLIDITY, MOBILITY, or the power of being moved; which by our senses we
receive from body: PERCEPTIVITY, or the power of perception, or
thinking; MOTIVITY, or the power of moving: which by reflection we
receive from OUR MINDS.
I crave leave to make use of these two new words, to avoid the danger
of being mistaken in the use of those which are equivocal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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