Book I
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Book I is the opening section of John Locke’s "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," in which he challenges the doctrine of innate ideas and lays the groundwork for his empiricist theory of knowledge.
Aliases (2)
Statements (35)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
book section
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philosophical text → |
| arguesThat |
the mind does not contain innate ideas at birth
→
there are no innate practical moral principles → there are no innate speculative principles → |
| author |
John Locke
→
John Locke → |
| century |
17th century
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|
| containsArgumentAgainst |
appeal to universal consent as proof of innateness
→
innate knowledge in children and idiots as evidence against innateness → |
| discipline |
epistemology
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philosophy of mind → |
| focusesOn |
critique of innate ideas in the mind
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critique of innate practical principles → critique of innate speculative principles → |
| hasPhilosophicalTheme |
critique of rationalist epistemology
→
nature and limits of human understanding → |
| influenced |
later empiricist philosophers
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|
| influencedBy |
debates about innate ideas in 17th-century philosophy
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|
| language |
English
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|
| laysGroundworkFor |
Book II (An Essay Concerning Human Understanding)
→
Locke’s empiricist theory of knowledge → |
| mainTopic |
empiricism
→
innate ideas → theory of knowledge → |
| openingSectionOf |
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
→
|
| opposes |
doctrine of innate ideas
→
rationalist accounts of innate principles → |
| partOf |
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
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|
| philosophicalPosition |
empiricism
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|
| philosophicalTradition |
early modern philosophy
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|
| positionInWork |
first book
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|
| setsUp |
Locke’s account of the origin of ideas in Book II
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|
| supportsView |
all ideas must be traced to experience
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|
| workContext |
English Enlightenment thought
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|
Referenced by (2)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
→
Nouveaux essais sur l’entendement humain → |
hasPart |