Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Locke On Human Understanding (Routledge Philosophy Guidebooks) (Paperback)

~ Jonathan Lowe (Author) "John Locke lived during a particularly turbulent period of English history and was personally associated with some of its most dramatic episodes, despite possessing a..." (more)
Key Phrases: adverbialist approach, different sortal terms, abstract general ideas, Locke's Essay, Lord Ashley, New Essays (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent introduction which absolutely should be read by any student concerned with Locke on these topics.." -- Roger Woolhouse, University of York

An excellent introduction which absolutely should be read by any student concerned with Locke on these topics..
–Roger Woolhouse, University of York

For the student who comes to the Essay, is intrigued by it, and who wants to explore further the implications of Locke's treatment of many of the issues still central to contemporary philosophical debate, Lowe's book is a valuable resource.
– Canadia Philosophical Reviews

For the student who comes to the Essay, is intrigued by it, and who wants to explore further the implications of Lockes treatment of many of the issues still central to contemporary philosophical debate, Lowes book is a valuable resource.
– Canadia Philosophical Reviews

The idea of such a series is, surely, a welcome one...It is also, as to be expected, invariably clear, stimulating and intelligent. Lowe's book is a very useful one. It should be recommended to any student who wants an introduction to Locke, and the individual chapters should figure on reading lists. It is written in a clear style, stimulating, well-informed and thoughtful in its discussion of Locke and in its own proposals. ... Lowe's book is an excellent start to the new series.
–Paul Snowdon

The idea of such a series is, surely, a welcome one...It is also, as to be expected, invariably clear, stimulating and intelligent. Lowes book is a very useful one. It should be recommended to any student who wants an introduction to Locke, and the individual chapters should figure on reading lists. It is written in a clear style, stimulating, well-informed and thoughtful in its discussion of Locke and in its own proposals. ... Lowes book is an excellent start to the new series.
–Paul Snowdon

Product Description

Locke on Human Understanding, is a comprehensive introduction to John Locke's major work, Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Locke's Essay remains a key work in many philosophical fields, notably in epistemology, metaphysics and the philosophies of mind and language. In addition, Locke is often referred to as the first English empiricist. Knowledge of this influential work and figure is essential to Enlightenment thought.

E. J. Lowe's approach enables students to effectively study the Essay by placing Locke's life and works in their intellectual and historical context. The book provides a critical examination of the leading themes in the Essay, illuminating the main lines in Locke's thinking. Such topics include innate ideas, perception, primary and secondary qualities, personal identity, free will, action and language. Finally, E. J. Lowe examines the comtemporary work being done on this highly influential English philosopher.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (June 12, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415100917
• ISBN-13: 978-0415100915
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,050,964 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Locke -- and to Lowe, August 2, 1999

By	John S. Ryan "Scott Ryan" (Silver Lake, OH) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

John Locke was without a doubt one of the sanest and soberest souls ever to put pen to paper. Here philosopher Jonathan Lowe provides a fine and thorough introduction to Locke's greatest and most influential work: his _Essay Concerning Human Understanding_.

Lowe not only provides clear and sound explications of Locke's own views, carefully placing them into historical context, but also inquires into whether Locke's views can be defended today -- and, perhaps surprisingly, finds that many of them are defensible though perhaps in need of modification. And Lowe does not hesitate to add his own views where necessary, by way of suggesting how a modern follower of Locke might carry his philosophy forward in light of scientific developments since Locke's day.

The result is more than an introduction to Locke -- it is a scintillating volume that will be a pleasurable read even for longtime readers of Locke. Lowe has a knack for picking out the most interesting features of Locke's thought and presenting them in a new light.

For example, I was quite struck by Lowe's remarks on Locke's "particularist" (Lowe's term) view of logic. Locke, as his readers may know, was extremely critical of syllogistic formalism, holding that while reasoned arguments may indeed be put in syllogistic form, it was nevertheless ridiculous to maintain that the use of the form itself is what gives validity to an argument. As Locke famously remarked, God was not so sparing as to make men barely two-legged and leave it to Aristotle to make them rational.

Lowe trenchantly notes that Locke's critiques would apply equally well to the Frege-Russell variety of formal logic; Locke, very much like Brand Blanshard in _Reason and Analysis_, held that we reason by connecting terms through their _meanings_, which a strictly formal logic provides no way to do.

Lowe's remarks on this point are food for thought not only on the matter of formal logic but on the question of what allegedly divides "rationalism" from "empiricism." Elsewhere in this volume, Lowe suggests that the firm distinction between these allegedly opposite schools of thought cannot be made out; and Locke was quite clearly a rationalist as regards knowledge even if he believed we arrived at all of our our ideas "empirically." That is, Locke clearly still has something to say to the rationalist philosophers of our own day -- and through Lowe, he says it.

And says it well: it is very much to Lowe's credit that, through his own lucid prose, he has allowed Locke to speak so clearly. The reader of this excellent introduction will find Locke to be fine intellectual company -- and also Lowe, a clear thinker and graceful writer whose own admiration for Locke is never explicitly stated but is nevertheless obvious through the keen sympathy of his presentation.

All in all, then, a delightful volume very much in the Lockean spirit.