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
The ideas we get by more than one sense are, of SPACE or EXTENSION,
FIGURE, REST, and MOTION. For these make perceivable impressions, both
on the eyes and touch; and we can receive and convey into our minds the
ideas of the extension, figure, motion, and rest of bodies, both by
seeing and feeling. But having occasion to speak more at large of these
in another place, I here only enumerate them.
CHAPTER VI.
OF SIMPLE IDEAS OF REFLECTION.
Simple Ideas are the Operations of Mind about its other Ideas.
The mind receiving the ideas mentioned in the foregoing chapters from
without, when it turns its view inward upon itself, and observes its
own actions about those ideas it has, takes from thence other ideas,
which are as capable to be the objects of its contemplation as any of
those it received from foreign things.
The Idea of Perception, and Idea of Willing, we have from Reflection.
The two great and principal actions of the mind, which are most
frequently considered, and which are so frequent that every one that
pleases may take notice of them in himself, are these two:—
PERCEPTION, or THINKING; and VOLITION, or WILLING.
The power of thinking is called the UNDERSTANDING, and the power of
volition is called the WILL; and these two powers or abilities in the
mind are denominated faculties.
Of some of the MODES of these simple ideas of reflection, such as are
REMEMBRANCE, DISCERNING, REASONING, JUDGING, KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, &c., I
shall have occasion to speak hereafter.
CHAPTER VII.
OF SIMPLE IDEAS OF BOTH SENSATION AND REFLECTION.
1. Ideas of Pleasure and Pain.
There be other simple ideas which convey themselves into the mind by
all the ways of sensation and reflection, _viz_.
_Pleasure_ or _Delight_, and its opposite,
_Pain_, or _Uneasiness;_
_Power;_
_Existence;_
_Unity_ mix with almost all our other Ideas.
2. Delight or uneasiness, one or other of them, join themselves to
almost all our ideas both of sensation and reflection: and there is
scarce any affection of our senses from without, any retired thought of
our mind within, which is not able to produce in us pleasure or pain.
By pleasure and pain, I would be understood to signify, whatsoever
delights or molests us; whether it arises from the thoughts of our
minds, or anything operating on our bodies. For, whether we call it;
satisfaction, delight, pleasure, happiness, &c., on the one side, or
uneasiness, trouble, pain, torment, anguish, misery, &c., the other,
they are still but different degrees of the same thing, and belong to
the ideas of pleasure and pain, delight or uneasiness; which are the
names I shall most commonly use for those two sorts of ideas.
3. As motives of our actions.
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