In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, first published in 1690, John Locke (1632-1704) provides a complete account of how we acquire everyday, mathematical, natural scientific, religious and ethical knowledge. Rejecting the theory that some knowledge is innate in us, Locke argues that it derives from sense perceptions and experience, as analysed and developed by reason. While defending these central claims with vigorous common sense, Locke offers many incidental – and highly influential – reflections on space and time, meaning, free will and personal identity.

The result is a powerful, pioneering work, which, together with Descartes’s works, largely set the agenda for modern philosophy.

Format: Paperback
Published: UK, 1997
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 816
Language: English
ISBN 13: 9780140434828
ISBN 10: 0140434828