第 61 节
作者:京文      更新:2021-02-19 21:42      字数:9293
  time become conscious of its reality。
  The grounds on which Locke refutes innate ideas are empirical。 “There is nothing more commonly
  taken for granted than that there are certain principles; both speculative and practical; universally
  agreed upon by all mankind: which therefore; they argue; must needs be constant impressions
  which the souls of men receive in their first Beings。” But this universal consent is not to be found。
  We may instance the proposition; “Whatsoever is; is; and It is impossible for the same thing to be
  and not to be; which of all others I think have the most allowed title to innate。” But this
  proposition does not hold good for the Notion; there is nothing either in heaven or earth which
  does not contain Being and non…Being。 Many men; “All children and idiots;” says Locke; “have
  not the least apprehension of these propositions。” “No proposition can be said to be in the mind
  which it never yet knew; which it was never yet conscious of。 。 。 。 'Tis usually answered; That all
  men know and assent to them” (the propositions) “when they come to the use of reason。 。 。 。 If it
  be meant that the use of reason assists us in the knowledge of these maxims; it would prove them
  not to be innate。” Reason is said to be the deriving from principles already known unknown
  truths。 How then should the application of reason be required to discover supposed innate
  principles? This is a weak objection; for it assumes that by innate ideas we understand those which
  man possesses in consciousness as immediately present。 But development; in consciousness is
  something altogether different from any inherent determination of reason; and therefore the
  expression innate idea is undoubtedly quite wrong。 Innate principles must be found “clearest and
  most perspicuous nearest the fountain; in children and illiterate people; who have received least
  impression from foreign opinion。” Locke gives further reasons of a similar nature; more especially
  employing those which are of a practical kind … the diversity in moral judgments; the case of those
  who are utterly wicked and depraved; devoid of sense of right or conscience。(3)
  b。 In the second book Locke goes on to the next stage; to the origin of ideas; and seeks to
  demonstrate this process from experience … this is the main object of his efforts。 The reason that
  the positive point of view which he opposes to any derivation from within; is so false; is that he
  derives his conceptions only from outside and thus maintains Being for…another; while he quite
  neglects the implicit。 He says: “Every man being conscious to himself; that he thinks; and that
  which his mind is applied about; while thinking; being the ideas that are there; 'tis past doubt; that
  men have in their minds several ideas; such as those expressed in the words; whiteness; hardness;
  sweetness; thinking; motion; man; elephant; army; drunkenness; and others。” Idea here signifies
  both the ordinary conception and thought; we understand something quite different by the word
  idea。 “It is in the first place then to be inquired; how he comes by them” (these ideas)? Innate
  ideas have already been refuted。 “Let us then suppose the mind to be; as we say; white paper;
  void of all characters; without any ideas; how comes it to be furnished? 。 。 。 To this I answer in a
  word; from Experience: in that all our knowledge is founded。”(4)
  As to the question in point we must in the first place say that it is true that man commences with
  experience if he desires to arrive at thought。 Everything is experienced; not merely what is
  sensuous; but also what excites and stimulates my mind。 Consciousness thus undoubtedly obtains
  all conceptions and Notions from experience and in experience; the only question is what we
  understand by experience。 In a usual way when this is spoken of the idea of nothing particular is
  conveyed; we speak of it as of something quite well known。 But experience is nothing more than
  the form of objectivity; to say that it is something which is in consciousness means that it has
  objective form for consciousness or that consciousness experiences it; it sees it as an objective。
  Experience thus signifies immediate knowledge; perception; i。e。; I myself must have and be
  something; and the consciousness of what I have and am is experience。 Now there is no question
  as to this; that whatever we know; of whatever kind it may be; must be experienced; that rests in
  the conception of the thing。 It is absurd to say that one knows anything which is not in experience。
  I undoubtedly know men; for instance; from experience; without requiring to have seen them all;
  for I have; as man; activity and will; a consciousness respecting what I am and what others are。
  The rational exists; i。e。; it is as an existent for consciousness; or this last experiences it; it must be
  seen and heard; it must be there or have been there as a phenomenon in the world。 This
  connection of universal with objective is however in the second place not the only form; that of the
  implicit is likewise absolute and essential … that is; the apprehension of what is experienced or the
  abrogation of this apparent other…being and the knowledge of the necessity of the thing through
  itself。 It is now quite a matter of indifference whether anything is accepted as something
  experienced; as a succession of empirical ideas; if one may so say; or conceptions; or whether the
  succession is a succession of thoughts; i。e。; implicitly existent。
  Locke treats of the various kinds of these ideas imperfectly and empirically merely。
  According to Locke simple ideas arise; partly from outward; and partly from inward experience。
  For experiences; he says; are in the first place sensations; the other side is reflection; the inward
  determinations of consciousness。(5) From sensation; from the organs of sight for instance; the
  conceptions of colour; light; etc。; arise; there further arises from outward experience the idea of
  impenetrability; of figure; rest; motion and such like。 From reflections come the ideas of faith;
  doubt; judgment; reasoning; thinking; willing; etc。; from both combined; pleasure; pain; etc。 This is
  a very commonplace account of the matter。
  After Locke has pre…supposed experience; he goes on to say that it is the understanding which
  now discovers and desires the universal … the complex ideas。 The Bishop of Worcester made the
  objection that “If the idea of substance be grounded upon plain and evident reason; then we must
  allow an idea of substance which comes not in by sensation or reflection。” Locke replies:
  “General ideas come not into the mind by sensation or reflection; but are the creatures or
  inventions of the understanding。 The mind makes them from ideas which it has got by sensation
  and reflection。” The work of the mind now consists in bringing forth from several simple so…called
  ideas a number of new ones; by means of its working upon this material through comparing;
  distinguishing and contrasting it; and finally through separation or abstraction; whereby the
  universal conceptions; such as space; time; existence; unity and diversity; capacity; cause and
  effect; freedom; necessity; take their rise。 “The mind in respect of its simple ideas is wholly
  passive; and receives them all from the existence and operation of things; such as sensation or
  reflection offers them; without being able to make any one idea。” But “the mind often exercises
  an active power in making these several combinations。 For it being once furnished with simple
  ideas it can put them together in several combinations。” According to Locke therefore thought
  itself is not the essence of the soul; but one of its powers and manifestations。 He maintains thought
  to be existent in consciousness as conscious thought; and thus brings it forward as a fact in his
  experience; that we do not always think。 Experience demonstrates dreamless sleep when the sleep
  is profound。 Locke quotes the example of a man who remembered no dream until he had reached
  his twenty…fifth year。 It is as in the Xenien; … (6)
  Oft schon war ich; und hab' wirklich an gar nichts gedacht。
  That is to say; my object is not a thought。 But sensuous perception and recollection are thought;
  and thought is truth。(7) Locke; however; places the reality of the understanding only in the formal
  activity of constituting new determinations from the simple conceptions received by means of
  perception; through their comparison and the combination of several into one; it is the
  apprehension of the abstract sensations which are contained in the objects。 Locke likewise
  distinguishes (Bk。 11。 chap。 xi。 § 15…17) between pure and mixed modes。 Pure modes are simple
  determinations such as power; number; infinitude; in such expressions as causality we reach; on
  the other hand; a mixed mode。
  Locke now explains in detail the manner in which the mind; from the simple ideas of experience;
  reaches more complex ideas; but this derivation of general determinations from concrete
  perception is most unmeaning; trivial; tiresome and diffuse; it is entirely formal; an empty tautology。
  For instance we form the general conception of space from the perception of the distance