An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Quotes

“Our business here is not to know all things, but those which concern our conduct.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:knowledgeself

“Is it worth the name of freedom to be at liberty to play the fool, and draw shame and misery upon a man's self?”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:freedomfoolishnessmisery

“He that uses his words loosely and unsteadily will either be not minded or not understood.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:understandingwords

“So that, in effect, religion, which should most distinguish us from beasts, and ought most peculiarly to elevate us, as rational creatures, above brutes, is that wherein men often appear most irrational, and more senseless than beasts themselves.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:religionreason

“This, I think, I may at least say, that we should have a great many fewer disputes in the world, if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas only; and not for things themselves.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:words

“Words, in their immediate Signification, are the sensible Signs of his Ideas who uses them.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:words

“I find every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it gladly: and where it fails them, they cry out, It is matter of faith, and above reason.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:reasonfaith

“All men are liable to error, and most men are in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:passioninterest

“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:thought

“But in this retirement of the mind from the senses, it often retains a yet more loose and incoherent manner of thinking, which we call dreaming.”

― John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

topic:dreamthinking