书名：An Essay Concerning Human Understanding 人类理解论
作者：John Locke
出版社名称：Penguin Classics
出版时间：1997
语种：英文 
ISBN：9780140434828
商品尺寸：13 x 3.5 x 19.8 cm
包装：平装
页数：816

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding《人类理解论》是英国哲学家约翰·洛克关于经验论的哲学著作，它的任务是探究知识的性质和人类探究真理的能力。全书分为四卷：第一卷的内容是批评“天赋观念”论；第二卷主要研究作为知识的来源的“观念”，说明“实体”、“样式”、“关系”这些复杂观念是如何形成的；第三卷关注的是“话语”，阐述关于“概念”的学说、“名义本质”与“实在本质”学说；第四卷是“知识与意见”，阐述了洛克的知识论。
 
《人类理解论》论述的是认识论问题。这是一部至洛克为止欧洲历史上的首部专门论述认识论问题的著作。

In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, first published in 1690, John Locke (1632-1704) provides a complete account of how we acquire everyday, mathematical, natural scientific, religious and ethical knowledge. Rejecting the theory that some knowledge is innate in us, Locke argues that it derives from sense perceptions and experience, as analysed and developed by reason. While defending these central claims with vigorous common sense, Locke offers many incidental - and highly influential - reflections on space and time, meaning, free will and personal identity. The result is a powerful, pioneering work, which, together with Descartes's works, largely set the agenda for modern philosophy.

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding《人类理解论》是英国著名哲学家、唯物主义者约翰·洛克的主要哲学著作。这部书从1671年写起，直到1687年才完成，在1690年出版。这一著作在西方哲学史上曾经发生过承前启后的作用，洛克作为唯物主义路线上的一个哲学家是西方唯物主义发展史上的一个重要环节。洛克在这部著作中所提出并要解决的中心问题是关于人类知识的起源，可靠性和范围。本书一开头他首先批判了笛卡尔主张知识起源上的所谓“天赋观念”以及莱布尼兹的所谓“天赋实践原则”这样一个在认识论上的唯心主义观点，并且从而提出了他的那个有名的白板论，即认识的来源是经验这样一个有巨大意义的唯物主义论点。不过，洛克在经验论上的唯物主义是不彻底的，正如他的政治观点、阶级立场是妥协的一样。所以他的哲学观点不仅影响了后来的唯物主义者（特别是法国百科全书派的启蒙思想家），同时也被唯心主义者（特别是贝克莱和休谟）有隙可乘地加以利用和歪曲。

约翰·洛克（John Locke，1632年8月29日－1704年10月28日）是英国的哲学家。在知识论上，洛克与乔治·贝克莱、大卫·休谟三人被列为英国经验主义（British Empiricism）的代表人物，但他也在社会契约理论上做出重要贡献。他发展出了一套与托马斯·霍布斯的自然状态不同的理论，主张政府只有在取得被统治者的同意，并且保障人民拥有生命、自由和财产的自然权利时，其统治才有正当性。洛克相信只有在取得被统治者的同意时，社会契约才会成立，如果缺乏了这种同意，那么人民便有推翻政府的权利。
John Locke(1632-1704) was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and held various academic posts at that university, lecturing on Greek and rhetoric. However, his interests lay in medicine and the new experimental sciences and in 1667 he became personal physician to the Earl of Shaftesbury. Under the influence of Shaftesbury, Locke developed his ideas on politics, property, trade, monarchy and the mind. Shaftesbury became a bitter opponent of Charles II and was involved in the plot of 1683. This forced Locke to flee in exile to Holland, but he returned after 1688 and began to publish his most famous works. He wrote also on tehology, education, and in defence of religous tolerance, while founding the analytic philosophy of the mind.

Introduction
Further Reading
Bibliographical Abbreviations
A Note on the Text
Title-page of the Fifth Edition
AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
The Epistle Dedicatory
The Epistle to the Reader
The Contents
Book I: Of Innate Notions
Book II: Of Innate Notions
Book III: Of Words
Book IV: Of Knowledge and Opinion
Appendix:
John Locke's Debate with Edward Stillingfleet, Bishop of Worcester, as it figures in footnotes in the Fifth Edition of the Essay
Index to the Fifth Edition
Notes

§1. 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 inquire into. The understanding, like the eye, whilst it makes us see, and perceive all other things, takesno notice of itself: and it requires art and pains o set it at a distance, and make it its own object. But whatever be the difficulties, that tie in the way of this inquiry; whatever it be, that keeps us so much in the dark to ourselves; sure I am, that all the light we can let in 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.
§2. This, therefore, being my purpose to inquire into the original, certainty, and extent of human knowledge; together, with the grounds and degrees of belief, opinion, and assent; I shall not at present meddle with the physical consideration of the mind; or trouble myself to examine, wherein its essence consists, or by what motions of our spirits, or alterations of our bodies, we come to have any sensation by our organs, or any ideas in our understandings; and whether those ideas do in their formation, an, or all of them, depend on matter or no. These are speculations, which, however curious and entertaining, I shall decline, as lyingout of my way, in the design I am now upon. It shall suffice to my present purpose, to consider the discerning faculties of a man, as they are employed about the objects, which they have to do with: and I shall imagine I have not wholly misemployed myself in the thoughts I shall have on this occasion, if in this historical, plain method, I can give any account of the ways, whereby our understandings come to attain those notions of things we have, and can set down any measures of the certainty of our knowledge, or the grounds of those persuasions, which are to be found amongst men, so various,different, and wholly contradictory: and yet asserted somewhere or other with such assurance, and confidence, that he that shall take a view of the opinions of mankind, observe their opposition, and at the same time, consider the fondness, and devotion wherewith they are embraced; the resolution and eagerness, wherewith they are maintained, may perhaps have reason to suspect, that either there is nosuch thing astruth at all; or that mankind hath no sufficient means to attain a certain knowledge of it.