An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 2: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 3 and 4
John Locke · en
state of action and blindness we are in, should make us more busy and
careful to inform ourselves than constrain others. At least, those who
have not thoroughly examined to the bottom all their own tenets, must
confess they are unfit to prescribe to others; and are unreasonable in
imposing that as truth on other men's belief, which they themselves have
not searched into, nor weighed the arguments of probability, on which
they should receive or reject it. Those who have fairly and truly
examined, and are thereby got past doubt in all the doctrines they
profess and govern themselves by, would have a juster pretence to
require others to follow them: but these are so few in number, and find
so little reason to be magisterial in their opinions, that nothing
insolent and imperious is to be expected from them: and there is reason
to think, that, if men were better instructed themselves, they would be
less imposing on others.
5. Probability is either of sensible Matter of Fact, capable of human
testimony, or of what is beyond the evidence of our senses.
But to return to the grounds of assent, and the several degrees of it,
we are to take notice, that the propositions we receive upon inducements
of PROBABILITY are of TWO SORTS: either concerning some particular
existance, or, as it is usually termed, matter of fact, which, falling
under observation, is capable of human testimony; or else concerning
things, which being beyond the discovery of our senses, are not capable
of any such testimony.
6. Concerning the FIRST of these, viz. PARTICULAR MATTER OF FACT.
I. The concurrent Experience of ALL other Men with ours, produces
Assurance approaching to Knowledge.