An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 2: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 3 and 4
John Locke · en
2. General Truths hardly to be understood, but in verbal Propositions.
All the knowledge we have, being only of particular or general truths,
it is evident that whatever may be done in the former of these, the
latter, which is that which with reason is most sought after, can never
be well made known, and is very seldom apprehended, but as conceived
and expressed in words. It is not, therefore, out of our way, in the
examination of our knowledge, to inquire into the truth and certainty of
universal propositions.
3. Certainty twofold--of Truth and of Knowledge.
But that we may not be misled in this case by that which is the danger
everywhere, I mean by the doubtfulness of terms, it is fit to observe
that certainty is twofold: CERTAINTY OF TRUTH and CERTAINTY OF
KNOWLEDGE. Certainty of truth is, when words are so put together in
propositions as exactly to express the agreement or disagreement of the
ideas they stand for, as really it is. Certainty of knowledge is to
perceive the agreement or disagreement of ideas, as expressed in any
proposition. This we usually call knowing, or being certain of the truth
of any proposition.
4. No Proposition can be certainly known to be true, where the real
Essence of each Species mentioned is not known.
Now, because we cannot be certain of the truth of any general
proposition, unless we know the precise bounds and extent of the species
its terms stand for, it is necessary we should know the essence of each
species, which is that which constitutes and bounds it.