Empiricism

Introduction
An inquiry into the understanding pleasant and useful since it is the understanding that
sets man above the rest of sensible beings. A man is a being, a rational which understanding is
appropriate to him. Through understanding, there are such difficulties in times of inquiries which
give notice to others and not in itself but this is not so pleasant but it brings advantage which
search for other. Human knowledge was given a great design and accompanied by grounds of
decrees of belief, opinion and assent. It was either with the ideas or in the sensation which each
has its foundation and functions. The design which gives human knowledge either be a certain
truth or just a partial truth. In such method, human have no certain knowledg3. In searching of
inquiry, it was abounding with opinion or knowledge. Method could be the measure to examine
things. There are the following methods such as first; we must inquire the original ideas or
notion. Second, what knowledge could the ideas can give? And thirdly, every inquiry could be
bound of faith and opinion to examine its reasons and degrees of assent. But first, what idea
stands for? Whatsoever is the object of the understanding when a man thinks, Locke used it to
express whatever is meant by phantasm, notion, species, or whatever it is which the mind can be
employed about in thinking and Locke could not avoid frequently using it.
BOOK II
CHAPTER I
Idea is the object of thinking. Every man has several ideas in their mind which the mind
is its tools. In the very first being, every mind was stamped with native ideas and original
characters. Ideas come from understanding which everyone own observation and experience.
Ideas are come from sensation or reflection and the objects of sensation are our senses which
convey sensible qualities. It was the experience furnishes the understanding of ideas but the great
source of most of ideas we have is the sensation which our understanding depend upon our
senses. The other source of ideas are come from the operations of our minds which when the soul
reflect on and consider, doing furnish the understanding with another set of ideas. By observing
the children, children had a little reason but stored with plenty of ideas. Men are differently
furnished with these ideas according to the different objects they converse with. Ideas of
reflection later, because they need attention hence the reason children ideas are not clear to them
since they did not make deep impressions enough to leave in their mind clear, distinct, lasting
ideas, till the understanding turns inward upon itself, reflects on its own operations, and makes
them the objects of its own contemplation. A man begins to have ideas when he first has
sensation. Sensations are such an impression or motion made in some part of the body, as
produces some perception in the understanding. The original of all our knowledge is that the
mind comes to reflect on its own operations about the ideas got by sensation, and thereby stores
itself with a new set of ideas, which John Locke calls the idea of reflection. These are the
impressions that are made on our senses by outward objects that are extrinsic to the mind, and its
own operations proceeding from powers intrinsic and proper to itself, which, when reflected on
by itself, become also the objects of its contemplation.
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER IV
The idea of solidity was receive by through our sense of touch. It is defined or called as
that which thus hinders the approach of two bodies when they are moved one towards another.
Idea of solidity is sort of impenetrability and idea connected with a matter. Solidity fills space
since it belongs to the body and matter which conceive as that fill space.
CHAPTER V
Ideas receive both by seeing and touching. It was in the space or extension, figure, rest
and motion.
CHAPTER VI
Simple ideas are the operation of mind about its other ideas. The operation which the
minds gathers ideas it has to be the object of its contemplation. There are two great and principal
actions of the mind namely; the idea of perception and the idea of will which we have from
reflection. Perception is where understanding relies while in volition or willing, they rely in the
will.
CHAPTER VII
There are such idea of pleasure and pain. Since minds convey sensation and reflection
which could be the pleasure and delight, its opposite could be uneasiness or pain. Mix with
almost all our ideas, delight or uneasiness, one or other of them; join themselves to almost all our
ideas both of sensation and reflection. As motives of our actions, the called infinite wise author
has given us power to keep our bodies, a power to our minds to choose amongst ideas. There are
also the ideas of existence and unity. Whatever that does exist have existence and whatever we
can consider as one thing, whether a real being or idea, suggests to the understanding the idea of
unity.
CHAPTER VIII
Ideas are the modifications of matter in the bodies that cause perceptions in us. Our ideas
and the qualities of bodies whatsoever the mind perceives in itself or is the immediate object of
perception, thought, or understanding is what John Locke called quality of the subject wherein
that power is. Primary qualities of bodies are utterly inseparable from the body such as solidity,
extension, figure or immobility from anybody while the secondary qualities of bodies are such
alternative things. Bodies produce ideas through impulse. Secondary qualities produce their ideas
in us through the primary qualities. The idea of the primary alone can really exist in things only a
modes of the primary such as the light and dark strikes the objects and the reason why it change
in appearance but still in itself.
CHAPTER IX
Perceptions are the first idea of reflection. Perception is our faculty of mind exercise
about our ideas. Reflection alone can give us the idea of what perception is and for reflecting
itself knows himself. Perception arises in sensation only when the mind notices the organic
impression which is we gi8ve attention to it. Impulse on the organ insufficient because whenever
there is sense or perception there are some ideas which actually produced and present in an
understanding. Perception is the inlet of all materials of knowledge. The lack in power of senses
the duller the impression they made.
CHAPTER X

Empiricism

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Introduction

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