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
Secondly, Another occasion of comparing things together, or considering
one thing, so as to include in that consideration some other thing, is
the circumstances of their origin or beginning; which being not
afterwards to be altered, make the relations depending thereon as
lasting as the subjects to which they belong, v.g. father and son,
brothers, cousin-germans, &c., which have their relations by one
community of blood, wherein they partake in several degrees:
countrymen, i.e. those who were born in the same country or tract of
ground; and these I call NATURAL RELATIONS: wherein we may observe,
that mankind have fitted their notions and words to the use of common
life, and not to the truth and extent of things. For it is certain,
that, in reality, the relation is the same betwixt the begetter and the
begotten, in the several races of other animals as well as men; but yet
it is seldom said, this bull is the grandfather of such a calf, or that
two pigeons are cousin-germans. It is very convenient that, by distinct
names, these relations should be observed and marked out in mankind,
there being occasion, both in laws and other communications one with
another, to mention and take notice of men under these relations: from
whence also arise the obligations of several duties amongst men:
whereas, in brutes, men having very little or no cause to mind these
relations, they have not thought fit to give them distinct and peculiar
names. This, by the way, may give us some light into the different
state and growth of languages; which being suited only to the
convenience of communication, are proportioned to the notions men have,
and the commerce of thoughts familiar amongst them; and not to the
reality or extent of things, nor to the various respects might be found
among them; nor the different abstract considerations might be framed
about them. Where they had no philosophical notions, there they had no
terms to express them: and it is no wonder men should have framed no
names for those things they found no occasion to discourse of. From
whence it is easy to imagine why, as in some countries, they may have
not so much as the name for a horse; and in others, where they are more
careful of the pedigrees of their horses, than of their own, that there
they may have not only names for particular horses, but also of their
several relations of kindred one to another.
3. Ideas of Instituted or Voluntary relations.
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