“No man’s knowledge can go beyond his experience.” An Essay Concerning Human Understanding written by John Locke in 1690, the Age of Enlightenment. During this era, many philosopher dominated the world with their reasoning and beliefs, yet the one that left the biggest impact is John Locke. Locke’s principles is extraordinary, different from the rest. In the Age of Enlightenment, not many philosopher thought and portray human understanding like Locke did. Since the era was under influence of religion, many philosopher associates human comprehension to religious morals.
Although Locke does mention religion in his book, it is not the centerpiece of his writings, but rather a detail. Through the use of rapacity, gender credibility, rhetorical question, and acknowledgement of peers, John Locke successfully elucidates that human knowledge are “not innate” (1.3.4) in order to show society that human develop “moral rules”(1.3.4) through experience whether virtuous or corrupt, motivating society to evaluate their moral compass and select the ethical alternative.
Beginning the text with a claim, Locke clearly positions his views, formulating a comprehensible perspective, which provide the reader with better understanding of the evidence. By proclaiming that “No moral principles so clean and generally receive” (1.3.1), Locke reveals that because knowledge is not innate, is why each individual have different moral principles. To elaborate, Locke saw The British Empire’s goal for a global conquest and their reasoning is that they are “civilized” (White Head 1-21), which would justify their wrong doings: “Hence, there are discursive similarities between Locke’s labour theory of property, India’s colonial land and orst legislation, and more widespread practices of accumulation by dispossession that involve the appropriation of landscape of already-inhabited or already-used, territories” (White Head 1-21). However Locke asserts that The British Empire’s meaning of the word civilized is not universal.
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Not only the British Empire believe in universal moral, but so did the ruler of England. Oliver Cromwell, leader of England, held ideologies of puritanism: “His rule was notable for its puritan reforms in the Church of England” (“Cromwell, Oliver”). Puritanism is the assumption that humans are naturally born sinful and that the “church” is “infallibility”(Locke 1.3.20). Locke, who is a philosopher, who does not believe in innate principles, utilizes his essay to criticizes Cromwell’s belief in theory of innate sins. Locke expostulate that human cannot be naturally born with sin because there are no principles of “one moral” (1.3.4).
In addition to rapacity from the British Empire, Locke, in response to the time period, exhibits women’s inability to exist as a credible female philosopher. While Locke does mention his fellow male philosopher’s stance, because not once were any female philosopher mentioned. Locke seems to suggest that females cannot comprehend the ideas of science and nature. For instance, Margaret Cavendish, an acclaimed female “natural philosophers”(“Cavendish, Margaret Lucas (1623-1673)”) of the 1600s: “She helped to popularize many of the ideas of the scientific revolution” (“Cavendish, Margaret Lucas (1623-1673)”). By Locke’s lack of accrediting female philosopher in his text, Locke entitled himself to discreteting woman’s values within society.
To add onto insufficient acknowledgement of female philosophers, Locke demonstrates the deeper meaning that resides in the text, through designation of females. Despite the image that is perceived on the surface of the text, Locke’s purpose of labeling females as “concubines”(1.3.9) and “mothers”(1.3.9) were not of ill intentions to define them as subordinate to men, but rather to place both genders as equivalent to each other. To elaborate, according to Corydon Ireland, Locke’s views of gender were of that dissimilar to others. Locke’s stance of gender is referred to as “early feminist ideas”.
Locke does not view motherhood as “subordination” but as a title that pushes women to be on “equal footing” as “men within marriage.” This concealed elucidation of gender equality displays how society views mothers as subordinate to the rest of civilization, “subordination may be a woman’s lot, but it is not her destiny.” In order to view females and males as equitable, mankind may need to practice impeachable “principles of justice” (1.3.10)
Furthermore, Locke uses rhetorical questions to motivate the reader to think about the points made again and evaluate it. According to Green Lee Douglas, “ Locke’s counter replies would consist in his rhetorical questions”. For instance, Locke professes that parents “preserve” (1.3.12) their children; “therefore you say this is an innate rule what do you mean?” (Locke 1.3.12), implying that how can children be innate of their own knowledge but is also protected by parents. This question of innate principles leave the reader to their own interpretation.
Finally, Locke utilizes contrasting philosopher views to better his own argument. As mentioned before, Locke often mention his peer’s view in his writings to support his own argument and leave them questioning about theirs. For example, Thomas Hobbes, who is a prominent philosopher, who is a colleague of John Locke, is used juxtapose of Locke’s perspective: “ Hobbes and Locke are often paired.
Both are 12th- century english philosopher” (Bilakovics, Steven), Hobbes is mentioned through a series of rhetorical questions along with other views:” but if a Hobbist be asked why? He will answer — because the public requires it, and the Leviathan will punish you if you do not” (Locke 1.3.5). This mention of the “Hobbist”(1.3.5), leaves the viewers pondering about the differing views of multiple individual, to which support locke’s claims of morals is formed by knowledge and that it is different for everyone.
In conclusion, because the neoclassical era were convinced that religious “virtue” (1.3.18.)are what humans are born with, and with John Locke’s publish of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, there were many interpretations of “principle of knowledge” (1.3.3). As a result of John Locke’s adamant stance and the developing scientific knowledge, nurture principles is a now a wide spread concept that many have come to assimilate. There are no longer belief that humans are naturally born with sins nor that everyone possesses the same knowledge and morals. From three hundred years ago, humanity have changed and developed greatly, yet there are still multitudes of “enormities”(1.3.9) that society can greatly improve.
In places of the world there are still dictators with rapacity oppressing the human kind like North Korea and China. On the other hand, gender equality have been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious of it’s improvement, women are now able to work and not bind as a mothers, however recently a movement called #metoo have sparked controversy with women being harassed in work places but does not have a voice, many are afraid to speak up because of dominance of male superiors in work places. Although society have greatly matured, it is still a long way before society can achieve a world of “serenity”(1.3.9). Because individuals are nurtured to become virtuous or corrupt the world will always be filled with atrocious crimes, unless society were to evolve with a better moral compass.
Works Cited
- Bilakovics, Steven, et al. “Economic Freedom and Human Flourishing.” AEI Paper & Studies., 3 Oct. 2016, www.aei.org/publication/economic-freedom-and-human-flourishing-perspectives-from-political-philosophy/.
- ‘Cavendish, Margaret Lucas (1623-1673).’ Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A148364311/AONE?u=parkrosehs&sid=AONE&xid =54a869f1. Accessed 14 Dec. 2018
- ‘Cromwell, Oliver.’ A Dictionary of World History. : Oxford University Press, January 01, 2015. Oxford Reference. Date Accessed 13 Dec. 2018 .
- Greenlee, Douglas. “Locke and the Controversy over Innate Ideas.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 33, no. 2, 1972, pp. 251–264. JSTOR, JSTOR,
- Ireland, Corydon. “Locke: More Enlightened than We Thought.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 30 Apr. 2009, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/04/locke-more-enlightened-than-we-thought/.
- Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding : Bk1.3. Ebooks.Adelaide.Edu.Au, 2015, https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/locke/john/l81u/B1.3.html. Accessed 10 Dec 2018.
- Whitehead, Judith. “John Locke, Accumulation by Dispossession and the Governance of Colonial India.” Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 42, no. 1, Feb. 2012, pp. 1–21. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00472336.2012.634638.
