work_id,theme,provenance,created_at,text,reviewed_on,id,comments,metaphor,dictionary,updated_at,context
3866,Mind's Eye,"Reading; found again, Joanna Picciotto, Labors of Innocence in Early Modern England (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2010), 262.",2003-09-04 00:00:00 UTC,"For the Understanding, like the Eye, judging of Objects, only by its own Sight, cannot but be pleased with what it discovers, having less regret for what has scaped it, because it is unknown. Thus he who has raised himself above the Alms-Basket, and not content to live lazily on scraps of begg'd Opinions, sets his own Thoughts on work, to find and follow Truth, will (whatever he lights on) not miss the Hunter's Satisfaction; every moment of his Pursuit, will reward his Pains with some Delight; and he will have Reason to think his time not ill spent, even when he cannot much boast of any great Acquisition.
(Epistle to the Reader, p. 6)",,9921,"","""For the Understanding, like the Eye, judging of Objects, only by its own Sight, cannot but be pleased with what it discovers, having less regret for what has scaped it, because it is unknown.""",Eye,2014-07-28 14:41:10 UTC,The Epistle to the Reader
3866,Taste,Reading,2003-09-04 00:00:00 UTC,"There are few, I believe, who have not observed in themselves or others, That what in one way of proposing was very obscure, another way of expressing it, has made very clear and intelligible: Though afterward the Mind found little difference in the Phrases, and wondered why one failed to be understood more than the other. But everything does not hit alike upon every Man's Imagination. We have our Understandings no less different than our Palates; and he that thinks the same Truth shall be equally relished by every one in the same dress, may as well hope to feast every one with the same sort of Cookery: The Meat may be the same, and the Nourishment good, yet every one not be able to receive it with that Seasoning; and it must be dressed another way, if you will have it go down with some, even of strong Constitutions.
(Epistle to the Reader, p. 8)",,9922,•The truth is meat digested by the mind. It nourishes!,"""We have our Understandings no less different than our Palates; and he that thinks the same Truth shall be equally relished by every one in the same dress, may as well hope to feast every one with the same sort of Cookery: The Meat may be the same, and the Nourishment good, yet every one not be able to receive it with that Seasoning; and it must be dressed another way, if you will have it go down with some, even of strong Constitutions""","",2009-09-14 19:34:34 UTC,The Epistle to the Reader
3866,Mind's Eye,"Reading; see also William Walker's discussion of this passage in Locke, Literary Criticism, and Philosophy (Cambridge: CUP, 1994), 73ff.",2003-09-04 00:00:00 UTC,"Since it is the Understanding that sets Man above the rest of sensible Beings, and gives him all the Advantage and Dominion, which he has over them; it is certainly a Subject, even for its Nobleness, worth our labour to enquire into. The Understanding, like the Eye, whilst it makes us see, and perceive all other Things, takes no notice of itself: And it requires Art and Pains to set it at a distance and make it its own Object. But whatever be the Difficulties, that lie in the way of this Enquiry; whatever it be, that keeps us so much upon our own Minds; all the Acquaintance we can make with our own Understandings, will not only be very pleasant; but bring us great Advantage, in directing our Thoughts in the search of other Things.
(I.i.1)",,9923,"•Don't these references to the ""eye"" really belong in the Body category? REVISIT.
•Gassendi makes this point to Descartes in his Objections.","""The Understanding, like the Eye, whilst it makes us see, and perceive all other Things, takes no notice of itself: And it requires Art and Pains to set it at a distance and make it its own Object.""",Eye,2013-08-19 16:56:16 UTC,I.i.1
3866,"",Skimming hard copy and with some pasting from McMaster's etext at http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/locke/Essay.htm. (1690 edition of Essay.),2003-09-04 00:00:00 UTC,"But how can these Men think the Use of Reason necessary to discover Principles that are supposed to be innate, when Reason (if we may believe them) is nothing else, but the Faculty of deducing unknown Truths from Principles or Propositions, that are already known? That certainly can never be thought innate, which we have need of Reason to discover, unless as I have said, we will have all the certain Truths, that Reason ever teaches us, to be innate. We may as well think the use of Reason necessary to make our Eyes discover visible Objects, as that there should be need of Reason, of the Exercise thereof, to make the Understanding see, what is Originally engraven in it. So that to make Reason discover those Truths thus imprinted, is to say, that the use of Reason discovers to a Man what he knew before; and if Men have these innate, impressed Truths Originally, and before the use of Reason, 'tis in effect to say that Men know, and know them not at the same time.
(I.ii.9)",2005-03-10,9927,•Defenders of innate ideas often argue that it is reason that discovers innate principles. Locke attempts to point out the absurdity of this position
•INTEREST. I've included twice: Eye and Engraving.
,"""We may as well think the use of Reason necessary to make our Eyes discover visible Objects, as that there should be need of Reason, of the Exercise thereof, to make the Understanding see, what is Originally engraven in it""","",2009-09-14 19:34:35 UTC,I.ii.9
3866,"",Reading,2003-09-04 00:00:00 UTC,"Can it be imagin'd, with any appearance of Reason, That they perceive the Impressions from things without; and be at the same time ignorant of those Characters, which Nature it self has taken care to stamp within? Can they receive and assent to adventitious Notions, and be ignorant of those, which are supposed woven into the very Principles of their Being, and imprinted there in indelible Characters, to be the Foundation, and Guide of all their acquired Knowledge, and future Reasonings? This would be, to make Nature take Pains to no Purpose; Or, at least, to write very ill; since its Characters could not be read by those Eyes, which saw other things very well: and those are very ill supposed the clearest parts of Truth, and the Foundations of all our Knowledge, which are not first known, and without which, the undoubted Knowledge of several things may be had. The Child certainly know, that the Nurse that feeds it, is neither the Cat it plays with,nor the Blackamoor it is afraid of; That the Wormseed or Mustard it refuses, is not the Apple or Sugar it cries for: this it is certainly and undoubtedly assured of: But will any one say, it is by Virtue of this Principle, That it is impossible for the same thing to be, and not to be, that it so firmly assensts to these, and other parts of its Knowledge?
(I.ii.25)",,9929,"•Again, eyes are body parts? REVISIT. Writing, optics, and eyes all at play in this passage.
•Check out the Locke's ironic touch!","""This would be, to make Nature take Pains to no Purpose; Or, at least, to write very ill; since its Characters could not be read by those Eyes, which saw other things very well: and those are very ill supposed the clearest parts of Truth, and the Foundations of all our Knowledge.""",Eye,2011-05-26 03:40:57 UTC,I.ii.25
3866,"",Reading,2003-09-06 00:00:00 UTC,"I hope, it will not be thought arrogance, to say, That, perhaps we should make greater progress in the discovery of rational and contemplative Knowledge, if we sought it in the Fountain, in the consideration of Things themselves; and made use rather of our own Thoughts, than other Mens to find it. For, I think, we may as rationally hope to see with other Mens Eyes, as to know by other Mens Understandings. So much as we our selves consider and comprehend of Truth and Reason, so much we possess of real and true Knowledge. The floating of other Mens Opinions in our brains makes us not one jot the more knowing, thought they may happen to be true. What in them was Science, is in us but Opiniatrety, whilst we give our Assent only to reverend Names, and do not, as they did, employ our own Reason to understand those Truths, which gave them reputation. Aristotle was certainly a knowing Man, but no body ever thought him so, because he blindly embraced, and confidently vented the Opinions of another. And if taking up another's Principles, without examining them, made him not a Philosopher, I suppose it will hardly make any body else so. In the Sciences, every one has so much, as he really knows and comprehends: What he believes only, and takes upon trust, are but shreads; which however well in the whole piece, make no considerable addition to his stock, who gathers them. Such borrowed Wealth, like Fairy-money, though it were Gold in the hand from which he received it, will be but Leaves and Dust when it comes to use.
(I.iv.23)",,9941,•Great passage. The Fairy-money is great figuration but doesn't exactly belong in the database.
•Note also that Mens Opinions float in our brains.,It is as impossible to see with another's eyes as to know with another's understanding,Eye,2009-09-14 19:34:35 UTC,I.iv.23
3866,"",Reading,2003-09-06 00:00:00 UTC,"To ask, at what time a Man has first any Ideas, is to ask, when he begins to perceive; having Ideas, and Perception being the same thing. I know it is an Opinion, that the Soul always thinks, and that it has the actual Perception of Ideas in it self constantly, as long as it exists; and that actual thinking is as inseparable from the Soul, as actual Extension is from the Body; which if true, to enquire after the beginning of a Man's Ideas, is the same, as to enquire after the beginning of his Soul. For by this Account, Soul and its Ideas, as Body and its Extension, will begin to exist both at the same time.
(II.i.9)",2003-10-22,9945,"•Locke confesses ""to have one of those dull Souls, that doth not perceive it self always to contemplate Ideas, nor can conceive it any more necessary for the Soul always to think, than for the Body always to move"" (II.i.10)
•This is a puzzling entry and it takes some thinking to bring it into focus. Note, that I have not included this assertion as it appears in Descartes's work. ","""I know it is an Opinion, that the Soul always thinks, and that it has the actual Perception of Ideas in it self constantly, as long as it exists; and that actual thinking is as inseparable from the Soul, as actual Extension is from the Body; which if true, to enquire after the beginning of a Man's Ideas, is the same, as to enquire after the beginning of his Soul.""","",2011-05-26 03:36:27 UTC,II.i.9
3866,"",Reading,2003-09-15 00:00:00 UTC,"Nor need we wonder, that this is done with so little notice, if we consider, how very quick the actions of the Mind are performed: For as it self is thought to take up no space, to have no extension; so its actions seem to require no time, but many of them seem to be crouded in an Instant. I speak this in comparison to the Actions of the Body. Any one my easily observe this in his own Thoughts, who will take the pains to reflect on them. How, as it were in an instant, do our Minds, with one glance, see all the parts of a demonstration, which may very well be called a long one, if we consider the time it will require to put into words, and step by step shew it another? Secondly, we shall not be so much surprized, that this is done in us with so little notice, if we consider, how the facility which we get of doing things, by a custom of doing, makes them often pass in us without our notice. Habits, especially such as are often begun very early, come, at last, to produce actions in us, which often escape our observation. How frequently do we, in a day, cover our Eyes with our Eye-lids, without perceiving that we are at all in the dark? Men, that by custom have got the use of a By-word, so almost in every sentence, pronounce sounds, which, though taken notice of by others, they themselves neither hear, nor observe. And therefore 'tis not so strange, that our Mind should often change the Idea of its Sensation, in to that of its Judgment, and make one serve only to excite the other, without our taking notice of it.
(II.ix.10)",,9956,On perception and the speed of thought,"""How, as it were in an instant, do our Minds, with one glance, see all the parts of a demonstration, which may very well be called a long one, if we consider the time it will require to put into words, and step by step shew it another?""","",2011-09-13 14:17:15 UTC,II.ix.10
3866,Mind's Eye,Reading,2003-09-15 00:00:00 UTC,"In this secondary Perception, as I may call it, or viewing again the Ideas, that are lodg'd in the Memory, the Mind is oftentimes more than barely passive, the appearance of those dormant Pictures, depending sometimes on the Will. The Mind very often sets it self on work in search of some hidden Idea, and turns, as it were, the Eye of the Soul upon it; though sometimes too they start up in our Minds of their own accord, and offer themselves to the Understanding; and very often are rouzed and tumbled out of their dark Cells, into open Day-light, by some turbulent and tempestuous Passion; our Affections bringing Ideas to our Memory, which had otherwise lain quiet and unregarded. This farther is to be observed, concerning Ideas lodg'd in the Memory, and upon occasion revived by the Mind, that they are not only (as the Word revive imports) none of them new ones; but also that the Mind takes notice of them, as of a former Impression, and renews its acquaintance with them, as with Ideas it had known before. So that though Ideas formerly imprinted are not all constantly in view, yet in remembrance they are constantly known to be such, as have been formerly imprinted, i.e. in view, and taken notice of before by the Understanding. So that though Ideas formerly imprinted are not constantly in view, yet in remembrance they are constantly known to be such, as have been formerly imprinted, i.e. in view, and taken notice of before by the Understanding.
(II.x.7) ",,9967,"•This is a metaphorically rich chapter!
•Locke's qualification: ""as it were""
•The mind and the soul in one entry.
","""The Mind very often sets it self on work in search of some hidden Idea, and turns, as it were, the Eye of the Soul upon it.""",Eye,2011-09-13 14:25:46 UTC,II.x.7
3866,"","Reading S. H. Clark's ""Locke and Metaphor Reconsidered"" in JHI 59:2 (1998) p. 248-9",2005-03-21 00:00:00 UTC,"Nothing being so beautiful to the Eye, as Truth is to the Mind; nothing so deformed and irreconciliable to the Understanding, as a Lye.",,9982,"","There is ""Nothing being so beautiful to the Eye, as Truth is to the Mind""",Eye,2009-09-14 19:34:37 UTC,IV.iii.20