Philosophy
Analysis of Locke’s argument
Locke’s argument focuses on knowledge making the mind develop similar thinking to ones consciousness while maintaining a difference from other people. His main argument is people have different mind and mindset thus cannot have similar thinking. People do reason differently and knowledge can be acquired through the perception of relationships existing between ideas (Harvey and Allard 87). Locke’s conclusion is that innate ideas exist but they are acquired at birth; therefore, the scholar believes innate ideas are abstract and unrealistic in nature. Locke uses sets of prepositions that act as the discussion’s premises. He also offers proposals that represent his conclusions in relation to the subject. This is achieved directly or through a chain of intermediate ideas, as Locke tries to argue that substances vary from one another without necessarily a change of personal identity.
Locke’s premises sum the principle suggestion that people cannot acquire ideas from any other source but the sensation and reflection of the mind. He explains that sensation is evidenced when an object stimulates an individual’s sensory organs while reflection are achieved through the observation of various mind operations used for reasoning, believing, knowing and recalling acquired information (Harvey and Allard 87). Locke argues that people are capable of using their knowledge in agreeing or disagreeing concerning ideas achieved through identity as well as diversity and coexistence. Locke’s premises are shaped through distinguishing certain object qualities produced within the mind regarding the same. In other words, Locke reveals that objects comprise of primary and secondary qualities with the former being a resemblance of an object that produces a given idea while the latter does not resemble the objects that produce them.
Evaluation of Locke’s argument
Locke’s argument is credible because a mind may contrast distinct ideas in diverse ways. Moreover, his conclusion makes sense because substances vary but personal identity cannot change. Locke’s conclusion on the existence of innate ideas is valid because the abstract quality is achieved through birth. A mind’s knowledge is being perceived through the real existence of some ideas in a subjective manner (Harvey and Allard 88). Moreover, an individual’s thinking consciousness is determined by the way they perceive knowledge. With matter acting as a substance, which separates humans, personal identity and reasoning capability are held as different aspects.
Locke’s premises are true because people’s ideas are caused by external objects attributed to the fact that knowledge perception within the mind occurs though subjective sensations or reflections. For instance, simple ideas are viewed as elements coexisting in a subject (Michaels 93). Individuals do not possess any innate ideas but the mind begins to develop upon the instillation of knowledge. Therefore, it is true that people’s materials of reasoning as well as knowledge has to begin at a given development point. It is also clear that an infant’s mind is just as a white paper and that innate ideas begin to develop slowly through knowledge acquisition from different areas. Locke’s conclusion logically follows his premises because he derives the conclusion from the knowledge of the mind as he tries to explain the way people achieve ideas through various experiences.
Work Cited
Harvey, Carol, and June Allard. Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and
Exercises. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
Michaels, Walter. The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore
Inequality. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006. Print.
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