John Locke Seminar

John Locke's essay was published in 1960, after the revolution which can be seen as being directly related to a lot of his ideas. It was written among friends as therefore would have been discussed at length. His purpose for publishing this essay was not that everyone understand, but just that his ideas be out there and known and discussed; however he also says "I desire it should be understood by whoever takes the pains to read it". He emphasises in the "Epistle to the reader" that he is not trying to force his ideas on others; he wants people to have their own view on the subject, but not judge, which can be seen as quite hypocritical and confusing. Despite these contradictions in some of his "Epistle to the reader", he has used clear, easy language which makes it more accessible to a greater number of people. This suggests he was more worried about reaching a wider audience than impressing the intellectuals. However, it could be said that it is too dumbed down and repetitive of the ideas.

The fact that he spent time clarifying meanings and interpretations shows that he is aiming the essay at the "common man" in an attempt to make sure that everyone understands and that his ideas are out there. The time he spent discussing what he meant by certain terms such as "clear and distinct" ideas shows that he knows that everyone has their own individual views and interpretations and that often it can be difficult to account for the differences between our own views and the views of others. He described a "determinate idea" as there and perceived to be. It is clear that he is not looking for perfection, despite the fact that these ideas could give him a lot of political power. He also understands that scientists are beginning to lead the way, so philosophers are beginning to fall by the wayside.

His main ideas included "tabula rata"; that everyone was born with a blank state and acquired knowledge through experience and in this way he acknowledges that no-one can ever be completely unbiased and impartial because we are all shaped by our experiences and the environment around us. This can be strongly linked to Darwin's nature/nurture debate and brought some of my previous knowledge from A-level psychology into mind.