1. JOHN LOCKE ( )

2. ABOUT LOCKE John Locke was born at Somerset on 29th August 1632
Educated at Oxford
Chief work was Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Raised the question of Epistemology
Concerned with origin of the furniture of mind
Introduced historical method in philosophy

3. THE PROBLEM OF LOCKE Knowledge Proper is certain, instructive and real
Locke was not a sceptic
“With me to know and to be certain is the same thing, what I know that I am certain of…and what comes short of certainty, I think cannot be called knowledge”
Knowledge should also be instructive as opposed to trifling information
Any knowledge is real as it must refer to and hold good of the actual state of affairs

4. MEANING OF IDEAS
Locke defined knowledge as the perception of the connection or repugnance of ideas
Ideas may mean a mode of individual consciousness…a subjective modification without any necessary reference to objective things
An idea may mean a representation of something other than itself

5. REFUTATION OF INNATE IDEAS
By innate ideas, Locke understands, ideas which the mind simply finds in itself, as distinguished from those ideas which it receives from outside or those which it creates within itself
They are supposed to be directly imprinted on the mind by God and as such enjoyed certainty and authority which no other ideas could claim
They rested on universality as the indubitable test of their innateness

6. ARGUMENTS AGAINST INNATE IDEAS
No principles are present in the mind from birth
No universal laws are found in the mind of insane, children, idiots
No moral principles are universally accepted by all nations
The idea of God is relative and conflicting and whole tribes exist without the idea of God

7. INNATE IDEAS ARE ACQUIRED
Denial of innate ideas does not imply denial of truths of science, morals and religion
Locke gave a basis sounder than that of mystical belief in innate ideas
Universal knowledge can be explained by the thesis of empiricism
Knowledge of the world around us comes from actual observation of it and not introspective analysis of furniture of the mind

8. Thank You