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
expand section2. 
Book II Of Ideas
expand section3. 
Book III Of Words
collapse section4. 
Book IV Of Knowledge and Probability
expand section1. 
Chapter I Of Knowledge in General
expand section2. 
Chapter II Of the Degrees of our Knowledge
expand section3. 
Chapter III Of the Extent of Human Knowledge
expand section4. 
Chapter IV Of the Reality of Knowledge
expand section5. 
Chapter V Of Truth in General
expand section6. 
Chapter VI Of Universal Propositions: their Truth and Certainty
expand section7. 
Chapter VII Of Maxims
expand section8. 
Chapter VIII Of Trifling Propositions
expand section9. 
Chapter IX Of our Threefold Knowledge of Existence
expand section10. 
Chapter X Of our Knowledge of the Existence of a God
expand section11. 
Chapter XI Of our Knowledge of the Existence of Other Things
expand section12. 
Chapter XII Of the Improvement of our Knowledge
expand section13. 
Chapter XIII Some Further Considerations Concerning our Knowledge
expand section14. 
Chapter XIV Of Judgment
expand section15. 
Chapter XV Of Probability
expand section16. 
Chapter XVI Of the Degrees of Assent
collapse section17. 
Chapter XVII Of Reason
  
1. Various significations of the word "reason.
  
2. Wherein reasoning consists.
  
3. Reason in its four degrees.
  
4. Whether syllogism is the great instrument of reason: first cause to doubt this.
  
Men can reason well who cannot make a syllogism.
  
Aristotle.
  
Syllogism does not discover ideas, or their connexions.
  
The connexion must be discovered before it can be put into syllogisms.
  
Use of syllogism.
  
Not the only way to detect fallacies.
  
Another cause to doubt whether syllogism be the only proper instrument of reason, in the discovery of truth.
  
5. Syllogism helps little in demonstration, less in probability.
  
6. Serves not to increase our knowledge, but to fence with the knowledge we suppose we have.
  
7. Other helps to reason than syllogism should be sought.
  
8. We can reason about particulars; and the immediate object of all our reasonings is nothing but particular ideas.
  
9. Our reason often fails us.
  
10. Because our ideas are often obscure or imperfect.
  
11. Because we perceive not intermediate ideas to show conclusions.
  
12. Because we often proceed upon wrong principles.
  
13. Because we often employ doubtful terms.
  
14. Our highest degree of knowledge is intuitive, without reasoning.
  
15. The next is got by reasoning.
  
16. To supply the narrowness of demonstrative and intuitive knowledge we have nothing but judgment upon probable reasoning.
  
17. Intuition, Demonstration, Judgment
  
18. Consequences of words, and consequences of ideas.
  
19. Four sorts of arguments.
  
20. Argumentum ad ignorantiam.
  
21. Argumentum ad hominem.
  
22. Argumentum adjudicium.
  
23. Above, contrary, and according to reason.
  
24. Reason and faith not opposite, for faith must be regulated by reason.
expand section18. 
Chapter XVIII Of Faith and Reason, and their Distinct Provinces
expand section19. 
Chapter XIX Of Enthusiasm
expand section20. 
Chapter XX Of Wrong Assent, or Error
expand section21. 
Chapter XXI Of the Division of the Sciences

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous sectionChapter XXIX Of Clear and Obscure, Distinct and Confused Ideas An essay concerning human understanding
next section

4. Distinct and confused, what.

As a clear idea is that whereof the mind has such a full and evident perception, as it does receive from an outward object operating duly on a well-disposed organ, so a distinct idea is that wherein the mind perceives a difference from all other; and a confused idea is such an one as is not sufficiently distinguishable from another, from which it ought to be different.

previous sectionChapter XXIX Of Clear and Obscure, Distinct and Confused Ideas An essay concerning human understanding
next section