Human Understanding Theory (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: [British] John Locke / Guan Wenyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-04-01
Features: "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" is the major philosophical work of John Locke (1632–1704), a renowned British philosopher and materialist. The book was written starting in 1671 and completed in 1687, with its publication in 1690. "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" played a pivotal role in the history of Western philosophy, serving as a bridge between past and future developments. As a philosopher on the materialist path, Locke occupies an important position in the history of Western materialism. The central problem Locke addresses and seeks to resolve in this work is the origin, reliability, and scope of human knowledge. At the beginning of the book, he critiques the idealist view in epistemology, specifically Descartes' so-called "innate ideas" and Leibniz' "innate practical principles," and thereby proposes his famous "tabula rasa" theory—the materialist argument that experience is the sole source of knowledge, a highly significant proposition. However, Locke's materialism in the empiricist tradition is incomplete, much like his compromising political views and class stance. As a result, his philosophical ideas not only influenced later materialists (especially the Enlightenment thinkers of the French Encyclopedists) but were also taken advantage of and distorted by idealists (such as Berkeley and Hume). The Chinese translation of this book was previously published by this institution. Now, after the original translator has revised and proofread it in comparison with the original text, it has been handed over to this institution for publication.