An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding

by John Locke

AN

ESSAY

CONCERNING

Humane Understanding.

---

In Four BOOKS.

---

Quam bellum est velle confiteri potius nescire quod nescias, quam ista effutientem nauseare, atque ipsum sibi displicere! Cic. de Natur. Deor. l. I.

---

---

 

 

---

---

LONDON:

Printed by Eliz. Holt, for Thomas Basset, at the George in Fleetstreet, near St. Dunstan's Church. MDCXC.

Chapters (not listed in original)

• The Epistle Dedicatory
• The Epistle to the Reader
• Errata

---

---

THE

CONTENTS.

---

BOOK I.
Of Innate Notions.
CHAP.
1.	Introduction.
2.	No innate speculative Principles.
3.	No innate practical Principles.
4.	Other Proofs against innate Principles.
BOOK II.
Of Ideas.
CHAP.
1.	Of Ideas in general.
2.	Of simple Ideas.
3.	Of Ideas of one Sense.
4.	Of Solidity.
5.	Of simple Ideas of more than one Sense.
6.	Of simple Ideas of Reflexion.
7.	Of simple Ideas both of Sensation and Reflexion.
8.	Other Considerations concerning simple Ideas.
9.	Of Perception.
10.	Of Retention.
11.	Of Discerning.
12.	Of complex Ideas.
13.	Of Space, and its simple Modes.
14.	Of Duration.
15.	Of Extension and Duration considered together.
16.	Of Number.
17.	Of Infinity.
18.	Of other simple Modes.
19.	Of the Modes of Thinking.
20.	Of the Modes of Pleasure and Pain.
21.	Of Power.
22.	Of mixed Modes.
23.	Of the complex Ideas of Substances.
24.	Of the collective Ideas of Sub∣stances.
25.	Of Relation.
26.	Of Cause and Effect, and other Relations
27.	Of other Relations.
28.	Of clear and distinct, obscure and confused Ideas.
29.	Of real and phantastical Ideas.
30.	Of adequate and inadequate Ideas.
31.	Of true and false Ideas.
BOOK III.
Of Words.
CHAP.
1.	Of Words and Language in general.
2.	Of the Signification of Words.
3.	Of general Terms.
4.	Of the Names of simple Ideas.
5.	Of the Names of mixed Modes and Relations.
6.	Of the Names of Substances.
7.	Of abstract and concrete Terms.
8.	Of the Imperfection of Words.
9.	Of the Abuse of Words.
10.	Of the Remedies of the foregoing Imperfections and Abuses.
BOOK IV.
Of Knowledge and Opinion.
CHAP.
1.	Of Knowledge in general.
2.	Of the Degrees of our Knowledge.
3.	Of the extent of Humane Knowledge.
4.	Of the Reality of our Knowledge.
5.	Of Truth in general.
6.	Of universal Propositions, their Truth and Certainty.
7.	Of Maxims.
8.	Of trifling Propositions.
9.	Of our Knowledge of Existence.
10.	Of the Existence of a GOD.
11.	Of the Knowledge of the Existence of other Things.
12.	Of the Improvement of our Knowledge.
13.	Some other Considerations concerning our Knowledge.
14.	Of Judgment.
15.	Of Probability.
16.	Of the Degrees of Assent.
17.	Of Reason.
18.	Of Faith and Reason, as contradistinguished.
19.	Of wrong Assent, or Errour:
20.	The Division of the Sciences.

 

---