John
Locke (1632-1704) was an empiricist,
which is opposite of a rationalist (like Descartes and Spinoza). According to
Locke's empiricist view, There is nothing in the mind that hasn’t been sensed
(Berkeley and Hume were other empiricists.) Locke had two main questions: Where
do we get ideas? and Can we rely on our senses? We are born innocent and then
take in information with our senses. A sense is a reflection. (We must classify
and process an experience.) We can only perceive simple sensations. But, after
eating an apple, we put these simple sensations together and come up with a
complex thought ‘apple.” Primary categories – are all quantitative while
secondary categories are relative, like color, etc. Locke believed in intuitive
knowledge and natural right.
