The theory of innateness is a philosophical idea that was developed to explain how human beings have certain ideas that lead to knowledge. However, in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke claims that there is not satisfactory evidence to support this theory. In the first book of the Essay, Locke’s motive is to challenge the general assumption that the human mind innately possesses the basic truths thought necessary for the possibility of knowledge. Contrary to the widely held belief of innateness, Locke makes the argument that knowledge is derived from empirical experience. In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke presents a systematic case against innate knowledge, and argues for the doctrine that sense …show more content…
In doing so, he argues that there are no innate principles or ideas in the human mind. By this, he means that there are no notions that are “were stamped upon the mind of man, which the soul receives in its very first being; and brings into the world with it” (1. 2. 1). In his arguments, he uses the example of two universal maxims, “whatever is, is” (CITE) and “it is impossible for the same to be and not to be” (CITE), in order to illustrate how these principles are actually capable of being empirically derived. Locke uses various arguments to assert that in fact all of the claims for innate principles and ideas are equally capable of being derived through use of the …show more content…
But how can these ideas be considered innate if they are not explicitly known? This belief essentially states that something is innate if we have the capacity to know it. Locke says here, that if that were so, we would know everything we could possibly know. That is to say, we have a capacity to know a lot of things, it does not necessarily follow that all of those things are innate, or that we do in fact know them. Lastly, Locke uses the example of God to prove that innate ideas are impossible. Since the idea of God is the best example of an innate idea, in proving that not all cultures have an idea of God, as well as the controversial concept of God, Locke manages to assert finally that the basis of innate ideas is not universally agreed upon, and therefore cannot be