Question

In what way is the understanding similar to the eye, referencing John Locke?

a) Both require light to function
b) Both are integral to sensory perception
c) Both can be improved with training
d) Both are innate and unchangeable

Answer 1

According to John Locke, the understanding is similar to the eye in that both are integral to sensory perception. Our minds, like a blank slate at birth, develop as we gain experience and sensory inputs, much like eyesight.

Step-by-step explanation:

The understanding of the human mind according to John Locke is similar to the eye in that both are integral to sensory perception. The correct answer to the question is b) Both are integral to sensory perception. Locke's philosophy posited that at birth, our minds are like a blank slate, a tabula rasa, which becomes filled through experience and sensory information, much like how the eye receives light and then the brain interprets this to form our perception of reality. Experience enables the accumulation of simple ideas that lead to more complex ones.

In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke's theory essentially likens the mind's ability to understand to how the eye sees; both are processes that develop over time through experience and interaction with the world. Unlike the eye which physically sees, understanding is a mental process that interprets and makes sense of sensory data.