John Locke’s View on Human Knowledge Acquired Through Sense Perception

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Topic 7

John Locke’s View on Human Knowledge Acquired Through Sense Perception

        Most philosophers argue that the acquisition of knowledge is through sense perception. John Locke, the prominent philosopher who inspires young minds and free thinkers, teaches his adherents that people can gain their pieces of knowledge through series of experiences with their environments. He believes that young minds are blank but that they develop as people grow older. When people reach maturity and attain full knowledge, they create banks of memories and experiences to use when they explain the world around them. However, Descartes opposes Locke’s view and comments on how Locke obtains an idea. Though Descartes holds reasons about the foundation of human knowledge, Locke proves his points by presenting some observations that explain the logic of his principles.

Locke’s discussions on the acquisition of knowledge reveal one important concept – human perception. He postulates that people do not have consciousness and potential to display such intelligence when they are born. Babies, for instance, are not capable of reason and inquiry during their younger days (Connolly). However, they can gain such knowledge through series of experiences and many years of progress. Locke argues that there is no innate intelligence. One can learn things when he or she gains the abundance of experiences in the environment (Connolly). Children acquire pieces of knowledge and experiences through everyday encounters. He further illustrates that human minds do not have those pieces of knowledge at first, but that thinkers acquire such knowledge of the world once they reach their full potential. Maturity and everyday experience are two things that contribute to the development of knowledge acquisition. Hence, Locke’s understanding, human observation, and sensitivity reveal his philosophies.

On the contrary, Locke receives negative impressions. His ideas on tabula rasa encounter several counterpropositions as mentioned by Descartes. Descartes himself focuses his ideas on the foundation of human knowledge as distinctive and inherent. His philosophical standpoints justify the logic of existence and the ability to reason, which basically contradicts to Locke since the latter asserts differently. Locke postulates that human knowledge comes from various experiences, features, factors, and variables. He explains that a child does not have knowledge in all things and that he can gain such understanding through the continuous process of learning. Descartes objects it and contends that human minds are strengthened and underwired with the faculty of reasons. He proclaims that “knowledge about truth and reality is on intellect, not perception” and that “it encompasses the process of learning through intelligence” (Newman). With Descartes’ ideas, he simply convinces his readers and other philosophers the truth that human knowledge is inborn and that it emerges when complex circumstances appear. On the other hand, Locke maintains that people’s concepts come from their direct experiences (Connolly). His strong arguments offer credible recommendations that parents should educate children good values and morals while they are young. By teaching these children good values, they will learn good lessons in life and dwell on them for the rest of their lives.

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