University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
An essay concerning human understanding

  
[frontispiece]
  
[title page]
  
To The Right Honourable Lord Thomas,
  
Epistle to the Reader

expand section 
Introduction An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
expand section1. 
Book I Neither Principles Nor Ideas Are Innate
collapse section2. 
Book II Of Ideas
expand section1. 
Chapter I Of Ideas in general, and their Original
expand section2. 
Chapter II Of Simple Ideas
expand section3. 
Chapter III Of Simple Ideas of Sense
expand section4. 
Chapter IV Idea of Solidity
expand section5. 
Chapter V Of Simple Ideas of Divers Senses
expand section6. 
Chapter VI Of Simple Ideas of Reflection
expand section7. 
Chapter VII Of Simple Ideas of both Sensation and Reflection
expand section8. 
Chapter VIII Some further considerations concerning our Simple Ideas of Sensation
expand section9. 
Chapter IX Of Perception
expand section10. 
Chapter X Of Retention
expand section11. 
Chapter XI Of Discerning, and other operations of the Mind
expand section12. 
Chapter XII Of Complex Ideas
expand section13. 
Chapter XIII Complex Ideas of Simple Modes:--and First, of the Simple Modes of the Idea of Space
expand section14. 
Chapter XIV Idea of Duration and its Simple Modes
expand section15. 
Chapter XV Ideas of Duration and Expansion, considered together
expand section16. 
Chapter XVI Idea of Number
expand section17. 
Chapter XVII Of Infinity
expand section18. 
Chapter XVIII Other Simple Modes
expand section19. 
Chapter XIX Of the Modes of Thinking
expand section20. 
Chapter XX Of Modes of Pleasure and Pain
expand section21. 
Chapter XXI Of Power
expand section22. 
Chapter XXII Of Mixed Modes
expand section23. 
Chapter XXIII Of our Complex Ideas of Substances
expand section24. 
Chapter XXIV Of Collective Ideas of Substances
expand section25. 
Chapter XXV Of Relation
expand section26. 
Chapter XXVI Of Cause and Effect, and other Relations
expand section27. 
Chapter XXVII Of Identity and Diversity
expand section28. 
Chapter XXVIII Of Other Relations
expand section29. 
Chapter XXIX Of Clear and Obscure, Distinct and Confused Ideas
expand section30. 
Chapter XXX Of Real and Fantastical Ideas
expand section31. 
Chapter XXXI Of Adequate and Inadequate Ideas
collapse section32. 
Chapter XXXII Of True and False Ideas
  
1. Truth and falsehood properly belong to propositions, not to ideas.
  
2. Ideas and words may be said to be true, inasmuch as they really are ideas and words.
  
3. No idea, as an appearance in the mind, either true or false.
  
4. Ideas referred to anything extraneous to them may be true or false.
  
5. Other men's ideas; real existence; and supposed real essences, are what men usually refer their ideas to.
  
6. The cause of such reference.
  
7. Names of things supposed to carry in them knowledge of their essences.
  
8. How men suppose that their ideas must correspond to things, and to the customary meanings of names.
  
9. Simple ideas may be false, in reference to others of the same name, but are least liable to be so.
  
10. Ideas of mixed modes most liable to be false in this sense.
  
11. Or at least to be thought false.
  
12. And why.
  
13. As referred to real existence, none of our ideas can be false but those of substances.
  
14. Simple ideas in this sense not false, and why.
  
15. Though one man's idea of blue should be different from another's.
  
16. Simple ideas can none of them be false in respect of real existence.
  
17. Modes not false cannot be false in reference to essences of things.
  
18. Ideas of substances may be false in reference to existing things.
  
19. Truth or falsehood always supposes affirmation or negation.
  
20. Ideas in themselves neither true nor false.
  
21. But are false--when judged agreeable to another man's idea, without being so.
  
22. When judged to agree to real existence, when they do not.
  
23. When judged adequate, without being so.
  
24. When judged to represent the real essence.
  
25. Ideas, when called false.
  
26. More properly to be called right or wrong.
expand section33. 
Chapter XXXIII Of the Association of Ideas
expand section3. 
Book III Of Words
expand section4. 
Book IV Of Knowledge and Probability

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous sectionChapter XXIII Of our Complex Ideas of Substances An essay concerning human understanding
next section

18. Thinking and motivity the primary ideas peculiar to spirit.

The ideas we have belonging and peculiar to spirit, are thinking, and will, or a power of putting body into motion by thought, and, which is consequent to it, liberty. For, as body cannot but communicate its motion by impulse to another body, which it meets with at rest, so the mind can put bodies into motion, or forbear to do so, as it pleases. The ideas of existence, duration, and mobility, are common to them both.

previous sectionChapter XXIII Of our Complex Ideas of Substances An essay concerning human understanding
next section