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
An obscure and relative idea of SUBSTANCE IN GENERAL being thus made we
come to have the ideas of PARTICULAR SORTS OF SUBSTANCES, by collecting
SUCH combinations of simple ideas as are, by experience and observation
of men’s senses, taken notice of to exist together; and are therefore
supposed to flow from the particular internal constitution, or unknown
essence of that substance. Thus we come to have the ideas of a man,
horse, gold, water, &c.; of which substances, whether any one has any
other CLEAR idea, further than of certain simple ideas co-existent
together, I appeal to every one’s own experience. It is the ordinary
qualities observable in iron, or a diamond, put together, that make the
true complex idea of those substances, which a smith or a jeweller
commonly knows better than a philosopher; who, whatever SUBSTANTIAL
FORMS he may talk of, has no other idea of those substances, than what
is framed by a collection of those simple ideas which are to be found
in them: only we must take notice, that our complex ideas of
substances, besides all those simple ideas they are made up of, have
always the confused idea of something to which they belong, and in
which they subsist: and therefore when we speak of any sort of
substance, we say it is a thing having such or such qualities; as body
is a thing that is extended, figured, and capable of motion; spirit, a
thing capable of thinking; and so hardness, friability, and power to
draw iron, we say, are qualities to be found in a loadstone. These, and
the like fashions of speaking, intimate that the substance is supposed
always SOMETHING BESIDES the extension, figure, solidity, motion,
thinking, or other observable ideas, though we know not what it is.
4. No clear or distinct idea of Substance in general.
Hence, when we talk or think of any particular sort of corporeal
substances, as horse, stone, &c., though the idea we have of either of
them be but the complication or collection of those several simple
ideas of sensible qualities, which we used to find united in the thing
called horse or stone; yet, BECAUSE WE CANNOT CONCEIVE HOW THEY SHOULD
SUBSIST ALONE, NOR ONE IN ANOTHER, we suppose them existing in and
supported by some common subject; which support we denote by the name
substance, though it be certain we have no clear or distinct idea of
that thing we suppose a support.
5. As clear an Idea of spiritual substance as of corporeal substance.
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