In John Locke’s Epistemology, he discusses that our thoughts and knowledge begin in our own heads, but are always influenced by either internal or external factors. To me, this makes complete sense. Because of family, friends, and mentors I agree with Locke that external factors influence our lives. I think of the children who are spoiled from a young age and then suddenly are pushed out into the real world that smacks them in the face. At home, they were not disciplined or expected to help around the house, but then you get to ‘adulting’ and realize that you have to do it yourself. In that person's mind they do not intend to frustrate people, but it is the thought process that they grew up around and into that has failed them. This is just one example of how parents can affect children and young adults thoughts. This can also be seen in the school systems. Schools that allow their students to slide through and not challenge them are actually failing them. They are failing them of an education that would benefit them greatly in the future if they had it.
Locke then explains how we have simple and complex ideas. Simple ideas are things that ‘simply’ pass through our brains. These are the small ideas that do not completely affect the way we live. Complex ideas are made up of combined simple ideas. These complex ideas are the ones that are more important in the grand scheme of life. Although the little decisions are important, it is very important to combine the simple ideas in an order that you specifically want and that match your values.
I commented on Rachel and Osten’s blog post.
Comments