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University of Santo Tomas Tampus, Maria Cristina M.

Department of Philosophy March 25, 2022

John Locke’s Of Innate Notions in the lens of the Contemporary

World
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Being a freshman in the Philosophy degree is somehow overwhelming yet it is that kind of
overwhelming that feels comforting. It is not the type of overwhelming that makes you feel the
ick and anxiety. Alongside that overwhelming feeling is the sense to inquire, the need to
critically think, and most importantly the urge to argue, debate, refute, and criticize that inquiry.
John Locke put an emphasize to the pain, difficulties, in his words, darkness that lie ahead in the
path to inquiry. But, with the help of understanding that makes us humans at the top of the chain
together with the animals, plants, and etc. we would be able to light up the thoughts, the notions,
the inquiry we have on our minds. Thus, a person who inquires and observe needs understanding
so that we could direct our thoughts in search of other things, in the words of John Locke. In our
time today, understanding is something that we all lack of. We know a few information, but we
don’t understand it extensively. To put it in the context of the contemporary world, there are
instances that we know of something but deep down our minds we haven’t fully understand the
depth of that. In the contemporary world, everything has emerged. We have internet, computer,
and tech that helps us get the information we need. But, is understanding the only thing we need
to digest the information? I beg to disagree. In the contemporary world, we need not only
understanding, we also need to be critical thinkers. John Locke suggested that through the help
of understanding, thoughts and ideas would be lighten up. After understanding a principle, we
analyze it. And then, we critically think of ideas and notions that would support the
understanding we have for that principle. Once we have understanding, we may have reasons to
suspect whether that information we know of is the truth, or we have no sufficient means to
attain certain knowledge of it. John Locke suggested in his work to pertain to these speculations
as lying because it is not in accordance with the design we are upon now. However, if we set that
information as lying just because it is not in our design or purpose, I don’t think we’d ever have
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knowledge from it. I think it is just mere statement. It is not an information we try to understand
so that we could lighten up the thoughts and ideas we have in our mind. It is just plain word we
know off, but we haven’t fully grasped. Having said that, we now go to the method. According
to Locke, it is worthwhile to search out the bounds between opinion and knowledge. Is the
statement you know of an opinion or a knowledge? What’s the difference of these two terms? I
remember way back grade school fact and opinion was taught to us. Fact is when the statement is
true, it really happened. On the other hand, opinions are those views and judgment we have for
something. It is not based on fact. Now, you might ask why do we have to search out the bounds
of these two? In the contemporary world, especially in the time of elections, we all have opinions
on who to vote for and why would we vote for that candidate. We have views and judgments on
why not the other candidate, and why it’s a must for the other to win. But, do we just let our
opinion be the basis of the future of your country and the next generations? As I see it, we should
not settle with just our own opinion. As for me, opinions become invalid if it is distorting the
truth, the fact. Aside from being opinionated, we have to ensure that we are informed and
educated. Hence, John Locke suggested a few methods on how to search out the bounds of
Opinion and Knowledge. Firstly, he stated that we have to inquire about the origin of the notions,
ideas. This is because it is important that we are aware of what is in our mind, what’s the depth
of it, and what does it really mean so that we could acquire the understanding, or knowledge
along the way. After having that awareness, we shall try to demonstrate what knowledge that
understanding has by its ideas, evidences, and the scope of it. Since, we already have knowledge.
We have to know whether there is certainty about it, or what are the scopes and limitations of
that knowledge we know of. We also have to look for evidences, or proofs that may be the
foundation of the knowledge. Then, Locke suggested that we look into the nature of it, and see
what else can we found. In this process, we don’t have that rock-solid information, but it can be
solidified here. We can consider some grounds for disagreement or agreement. This is what I
think the part where we don’t settle for what we know, what was taught to us. We look outside
the box. We look for any other angles that would help us solidify the said information,
knowledge. Next, Locke stated that it is useful to know the extent of our comprehension. As I
understand it, he’s trying to imply that as people who have understanding, we have to be cautious
in meddling with things that exceeds our comprehension. Which is something I somehow
disagree, yet I still agree. Although, I believe that being cautious in taking part of things that we
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haven’t fully comprehended, I still partly think that when we become cautious, we tend to forget
that there’s more to learn, more to comprehend, more to understand, and more to know. In a way,
by being cautious, we somehow promote ignorance. There might be scope and boundaries in
searching for the thing we call as “understanding,” but we owe it to ourselves to learn more than
just what we know. To explore the things that were taught to us. Hence, in the age of information
– ignorance is a choice, a quote by Donny Miller. Which leads me to the next one, where in
Locke stated that we shall magnify this degree of knowledge. He said that men do really have
reason to be satisfied with what the Creator deemed fit for them. But, although these are all
within the reach, all the information, the needs, and any other thing that was created to make
lives easier, we still have to secure and look further into things. We should not be satisfied with
the world that was molded for us. We have to mold things in our own way, our own knowledge.
Putting it in the context of our contemporary world is as timely as ever. In the political world, we
have to ensure that we are voting for the right government. We cannot assent with the basis of
opinion, or judgment. We have to assent because we know, we are aware, and we understand that
this is the right government for our country. In education, we cannot just settle with what the
educators are trying to imply to us. We have to search; we have to explore. We should not stay
within the boxes that the educators created for us, we have to jump. We have to go outside, and
find the depth of what was taught to us.