John Locke argues that all knowledge is derived from experience through our senses rather than being innate. He introduces the concept of tabula rasa to argue that we are born without innate ideas and our minds are like blank slates that are written on by sensory experiences. Locke categorizes knowledge into sorts (identity, relation, etc.) and degrees (intuitive, demonstrative, sensitive). Sensitive knowledge comes from particular experiences of finite beings. Overall, Locke rejects innate ideas and universal knowledge, arguing instead that ideas come from sensation and experience to fill our minds.

1. Assignment of Theories of Language Description
Title
John Locke’s Theory of Knowledge
Submitted to:
Mr. Waseem Hassan
Submitted by:
Ali Furqan Syed
Class:
MPhil (1st
Semester)
LAHORE INSTITUTE OF FUTURE EDUCATION LAHORE

2. John Locke’s Theory of Knowledge
John Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding is a monumental work in
which he presents the theory of knowledge. He puts forward his arguments by
opposing the theory- that some ideas are not derived by sense experience, but are
‘innate’ which means a mind possesses these ideas by birth. He argues that knowledge
is not innate and all ideas are originated from sense experience. He introduces the
concept of ‘tabula rasa’ which means we are like ‘blank slates’ when born but have the
ability to write on it e.g. Eve was not learned when she was born.
He argues that there is no innate knowledge. So he claims that all our
Knowledge is derived from sense experience; and that we have no knowledge prior to
or independent of sense experience. Moreover, the idea that comes from the soul itself
is too taken for sensation by us when asleep. Locke allows that our reflective ideas can
be ambiguous and obscure, if do not concentrate. In this sense, sensitive knowledge is
the least certain degree of knowledge.
In this essay, John Locke varies knowledge into two categories- ‘sorts’ of
knowledge and ‘degrees’ of knowledge. On the one hand, four “sorts” of knowledge: of
identity; relation; co existence; and real existence. On the other hand there are three

3. degrees of knowledge: intuitive, demonstrative and sensitive knowledge. Then he gives
the concept of knowledge and sensitive knowledge. He opines that sensitive knowledge
is practical knowledge and it is something experienced and learned. Sensitive knowledge
consists specifically in knowledge of “particular existence of finite beings without us”.
Further, he calls this kind of knowledge “assurance”.
John Locke as an empiricist focuses, in this essay, how we can acquire
knowledge? He says that first of all the ideas come into an ‘empty cabinet’- mind and
then we familiarize these by experiences through repetition and label them names after
that. From there, we start to talk about - from individuals to ‘types’ of an experience
e.g. from the idea ‘colour’ to types’ blue’, ‘yellow’, ’ red’ , ’ pink’ etc.
Further, he elaborates that some ideas are as simple and some as complex one.
The basic blocks of the building are the simple ideas- single colours, single smells single
shapes and so on. But then we unite these simple ideas into more complex ideas e.g.
we identify one and the same thing (a dog) having a particular colour, shape and smell.
This shows that as an abstract we ignore many features of the thing but in complexity,
we count features from top to toe.
In this essay, john Locke illustrates the sources of knowledge deduction preferred
by Descartes and induction adopted by himself. He rejects deduction as the only reliable
knowledge because it can’t tell us anything new e.g. truths remain only truths by
definition. By rejecting deduction as the only source of reliable knowledge he inversely
adopts induction as source of reliable knowledge i.e. to produce facts to prove a general
statement. Induction is a kind of experience data which we perceive from the word and

4. now this is the foundation principle of the modern science. Along this Locke rejects
both Plato’s and Descartes’ concepts of universal innate ideas. He says that universal
knowledge does not exist e.g. ” ideas not known to children and idiots”
In this essay John Locke argues that all ideas come from sensation i.e. experience
and these ideas belong to mind because whatsoever the mind perceives in itself is a
thought or understanding that he calls idea. He also opines that there is a power to
produce any idea in our mind i.e. quality. Thus a snowball has the power to produce
in us the ideas of white, cold, and round. So the power to produce those ideas in our
mind is called quality.
Further, he investigates that there are two kinds of qualities of bodies which
produce various ideas: primary qualities of bodies and secondary qualities of bodies.
Locke observes that primary qualities are those qualities which produce simple ideas in
us e.g. take a grain of wheat, divide into two parts each part has still solidity, extension,
figure, and mobility: divide it again and again it retains still the same qualities. Secondly,
secondary qualities of bodies are such qualities which are nothing in the objects
themselves but powers to produce various sensations in us by their primary qualities,
i.e. colors, sound, tastes, smells etc.
By summing up, he argues that ideas of primary qualities alone really exist and
this is knowledge in real sense e.g. the particular qualities of fire or snow are really in
them like bulk , figure, and motion whether anyone’s senses perceive them or not. So
they may be called real qualities, because they really exist in those bodies. But light,
heat, whiteness, or coldness are no more really in them. Thus , Locke has an atomic and

5. more accurate theory of knowledge by saying : ‘there is nothing in intellect that was
snot previously in the senses— where the senses are broadened to include reflection.’