John Locke
2 articles filed under this keyword.
The Philosophy of Education from the Perspective of Modern Philosophy
Kewan Muhammed Abdulla, Batool Radha Abas
This research focuses on the theory of education in modern times especially in John Locke’s perspective, the founder of empiricism and the school of natural education, through analysing Locke’s main thoughts. It focuses on the relation between child’s education and concepts of goodness, virtue, freedom, religion and politics. Due to his experience in philosophy and education, he participated in development of educational thoughts. Locke has talked about four types of education; which are Virtue Education, Wisdom Education (Wisdom), Breeding Education and Learning Education (Learning). He has put a major emphasize on the physical education and gave it an important place in his education system. He has earned a big pride in developing the concept of educational philosophy during the century he lived in. He has established the pillars and foundation of education, provided a clear path for mentors and teachers in educating children. He also added another important element to the concept of the core educational philosophy on the nature of the student which is the “Blank Slates” (Tabula Rasa), which refers to the idea that human mind right after birth is totally void of any ideas or innate memories, rather ideas and experiences are obtained from the environment in which the child is growing in, or through those principles that the society is providing. Locke believes children can be prepared for any specific field through education, which involves physical, behavioural and mind education. The aim of Locke’s education in children is the subjects of education in relation to goodness, virtue and reaching completeness. The virtue Locke is talking about is earned through intensive physical and mental education.
Volume 12 · Issue 5 · October 2025The Problem of Epistemology in John Locke’s Philosophy
Rezhna Faruq Abdalla, Muslim Hassan Mohammed
This article discusses the underlying disagreement between rationalism and empiricism regarding the source of knowledge. Rationalist philosophers, especially Descartes, claim that true knowledge originates from the mind and not from the sense, because it is related to the concept of inborn and the senses deceptive often. Rationalists argue that individuals are born with innate ideas that are true and do not depend on experience. On the other hand, empiricist philosophers, especially John Locke, maintains that knowledge originates solely from experience. According to Locke, the human mind is a blank slate at birth, and is without innate ideas, and the things we know are obtained through sensory input. Although Locke appreciates the role of the mind in processing knowledge, he believes its capacity to generate knowledge independently is limited. Locke asserts that the mind cannot create knowledge without receiving data through the senses first. According to Locke, reason is not a direct source of knowledge but works as a tool to organize and analyze information acquired from sensory experiences. In the end, he claims that although sensory experience is the basis of knowledge, the mind is crucial for creating, verifying, and applying the knowledge. It can be concluded that the mind is not the origin of knowledge, but it has an essential role in interpreting and organizing ideas. Also, it can combine simple sensory signals into more complex concepts. Therefore, it can be argued that knowledge begins with sensory inputs and is then formed and expanded by the mind. This study aims to explore John Locke's ideas about knowledge and the methods by which certain knowledge can be acquired.