A Study Of Locke S Theory Of Knowledge

Excerpt from A Study of Locke's Theory of Knowledge: Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University In so far as it denies irresoluble dualism, this standpoint is one with so-called objective idealism, but it might just as well be called realism. It unqualifiedly denies that that which is present in the experience is therefore in the mind, or that to be means to be perceived. Sensations, if we can speak of such analyzed elements, are external objects and not ideas. On the other hand, it holds that the finite knower is part of the universe and not a passive or detached spectator. It affirms with Bosanquet that truth is the whole, that the worlds of finite centers of experience are true in so far as they correspond with the coherent whole of which they are parts. It is obvious therefore why Locke's theory of knowl edge, embracing as it does the doctrine of ideas and of two worlds, may be regarded as a typical antithesis to this standpoint. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This volume of essays by a distinguished international group of scholars looks both at core areas of John Locke's philosophy and political theory and at areas not usually discussed--the links between his philosophy and his religious and political thought, the effects and implications of Locke's works in the world at the time, and the manifestations of those effects in the present day. Drawing on material not available until recently, the book is the first original collection of Locke scholarship in some years.

This is the first modern interpretation of Leibniz's comprehensive critique of Locke, the New Essays on Human Understanding. Arguing that the New Essays is controlled by the overriding purpose of refuting Locke's alleged materialism, Jolley establishes the metaphysical and theological motivation of the work on the basis of unpublished correspondence and manuscript material. He also shows the relevance of Leibniz's views to contemporary debates over innate ideas, personal identity, and natural kinds.

Excerpt from A Study of Locke's Theory of Knowledge: Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University 1. Standpoint of This Study. - The writer holds that reality is a systematic whole, that the mind, the body, and the external world are organic to one another. To insulate consciousness, to divide the universe into a realm of knowledge and a realm of external reality, he regards as an untenable position. In the words of Green, "A within implies a without and we are not entitled to say anything is without or outside consciousness; for externality, being a relation which, like any other relation, exists only in the medium of consciousness, (only between certain objects as they are for consciousness,) cannot be a relation between consciousness and anything else." In so far as it denies irresoluble dualism, this standpoint is one with so-called objective idealism, but it might just as well be called realism. It unqualifiedly denies that that which is present in the experience is therefore "in the mind," or that to be means to be perceived. Sensations, if we can speak of such analyzed elements, are external objects and not "ideas." On the other hand, it holds that the finite knower is part of the universe and not a passive or detached spectator. It affirms with Bosanquet that truth is the whole, that the worlds of finite centers of experience are true in so far as they correspond with the coherent whole of which they are parts. It is obvious therefore why Locke's theory of knowledge, embracing as it does the doctrine of ideas and of two worlds, may be regarded as a typical antithesis to this standpoint. 2. Method. - Locke's theory of knowledge, however, will not be used as a mere foil for a rival theory, as is the case with the criticisms of Liebnitz and Cousin. In the spirt of Socrates, the writer will attempt to meet Locke on his own ground and criticize his theory of knowledge with reference to his own statements and the common facts of experience as accessible to him as to us. The method of immanent criticism here adopted will doubtless lay this study open to the danger of loose organization. Unity, it is hoped, will be achieved by constant reference to the standpoint of this study. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

John Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding begins with a clear statement of an epistemological goal: to explain the limits of human knowledge, opinion, and ignorance. The actual text of the Essay, in stark contrast, takes a long and seemingly meandering path before returning to that goal at the Essay’s end—one with many detours through questions in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of language. Over time, Locke scholarship has come to focus on Locke’s contributions to these parts of philosophy. In Locke’s Science of Knowledge, Priselac refocuses on the Essay’s epistemological thread, arguing that the Essay is unified from beginning to end around its compositional theory of ideas and the active role Locke gives the mind in constructing its thoughts. To support the plausibility and demonstrate the value of this interpretation, Priselac argues that—contrary to its reputation as being at best sloppy and at worst outright inconsistent—Locke’s discussion of skepticism and account of knowledge of the external world fits neatly within the Essay’s epistemology.