Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding

John Locke's *Essay Concerning Human Understanding* explores how we acquire knowledge and understand the world. He argues that the mind starts as a "blank slate" (tabula rasa) and gains knowledge through experience—either through our senses or reflection on our thoughts. Locke emphasizes that ideas are copies or reflections of real things, and that understanding develops gradually. He challenges the idea of innate ideas, suggesting all knowledge comes from experience. The work examines the nature of language, belief, and personal identity, shaping modern ideas about empiricism and the limits of human understanding.