54 pages 1 hour read

John Locke

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1690

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

The Tabula Rasa Theory

One of Locke’s most significant contributions to the philosophical realm is his support for the concept of tabula rasa. This Latin phrase translates as “clean slate” in English. The term originally described a wax-covered tablet used for writing which was erased by heating and smoothing the wax after use. The tabula rasa theory suggests that the mind is a blank slate at birth; all knowledge comes through experience and sensory perception.

Locke rejected the concept of innate knowledge, first popularized by Greek philosophers during the fourth century. Aristotle, for example, suggested that even a blank tablet contains words and characters that have not yet been written. Innatism suggests that humans are born with certain knowledge. Locke challenges the belief that humans are born knowing certain innate principles, such as the law of identity. This principle suggests that all humans understand that things exist. Another idea considered innate is the existence of God. The foundation of the argument for innate knowledge is the concept of universal consent, the idea that all people in the world agree on these principles. Locke argues that universal consent does not exist. If any persisting theory is examined across the globe, there will always be examples of cultures and individuals who challenge it.

Related Titles

By John Locke

Study Guide

logo

Second Treatise of Government

John Locke, C. B. Macpherson, ed.

Second Treatise of Government

John Locke, C. B. Macpherson, ed.

Study Guide

logo

The First Treatise of Government

John Locke

The First Treatise of Government

John Locke