John Locke Quotes - Page 8

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Set the mind to work, and apply the thoughts vigorously to the business, for it holds in the struggles of the mind, as in those of war, that to think we shall conquer is to conquer.

John Locke

Business, War, Struggle

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It is vain to find fault with those arts of deceiving wherein men find pleasure to be deceived.

John Locke

Art, Lying, Men

John Locke (1836). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, p.373

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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

Men, Beast, Should

John Locke (1836). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, p.532

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It is hard to know what other way men can come to truth, to lay hold of it, if they do not dig and search for it as for gold and hid treasure; but he that does so, must have much earth and rubbish, before he gets the pure metal; sand, and pebbles, and dross usually lie blended with it, but the gold is nevertheless gold, and will enrich the man that employs his pains to seek and separate it.

John Locke

Pain, Lying, Men

John Locke (1727). “The Works of John Locke”, p.392

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There is no such way to gain admittance, or give defence to strange and absurd Doctrines, as to guard them round about with Legions of obscure, doubtful, and undefin'd Words.

John Locke

Giving, Doctrine, Way

John Locke (1714). “The Works of John Locke Esq: In Three Volumes. The Contents of which Follow in the Next Leaf. With Alphabetical Tables. ...”, p.228

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And because it may be too great a temptation to human frailty, apt to grasp at power, for the same persons, who have the power of making laws, to have also in their hands the power to execute them, whereby they may exempt themselves from obedience to the laws they make, and suit the law, both in its making, and execution, to their own private advantage.

John Locke

Hands, Law, Temptation

John Locke (1821). “Two treatises of government”, p.313

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The difference, so observable in men's understandings and parts, does not arise so much from their natural faculties, as acquired habits.

John Locke

Men, Differences, Understanding

John Locke (1824). “Of human understanding. A defence of Mr. Locke's opinion concerning personal identity. Of the conduct of the understanding. Some thoughts concerning reading and study for a gentleman. Elements of natural philosophy. A new method of common-place-book”, p.264

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If we will disbelieve everything, because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much what as wisely as he who would not use his legs, but sit still and perish, because he had no wings to fly.

John Locke

Wings, Use, Legs

John Locke (1836). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, p.3

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'Tis true that governments cannot be supported without great charge, and it is fit everyone who enjoys a share of protection should pay out of his estate his proportion of the maintenance of it.

John Locke

Government, Maintenance, Libertarian

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Curiosity in children ... is but an appetite after knowledge and therefore ought to be encouraged in them, not only as a good sign, but as the great instrument nature has provided to remove that ignorance they were born with and which, without this busy inquisitiveness, will make them dull and useless creatures.

John Locke

Children, Ignorance, Curiosity

John Locke (2007). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: (Including Of the Conduct of the Understanding)”, p.93, Courier Corporation

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The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it, into which a young gentleman should be enter'd by degrees, as he can bear it; and the earlier the better, so he be in safe and skillful hands to guide him.

John Locke

Hands, Thorough Knowledge, Gentleman

"Some Thoughts Concerning Education" by John Locke, (Sec. 94), 1693.

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Thus the law of nature stands as an eternal rule to all men, legislators as well as others. The rules that they make for other mens actions, must, as well as their own and other mens actions, be conformable to the law of nature, i.e. to the will of God, of which that is a declaration, and the fundamental law of nature being the preservation of mankind, no human sanction can be good, or valid against it.

John Locke

Men, Law, Action

John Locke (1821). “Two treatises of government”, p.305

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False and doubtful positions, relied upon as unquestionable maxims, keep those who build on them in the dark from truth. Such are usually the prejudices imbibed from education, party, reverence, fashion, interest, et cetera.

John Locke

Fashion, Party, Dark

"An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" by John Locke, (Book IV, Ch. 7), 1689.

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To give a man full knowledge of morality, I would send him to no other book than the New Testament.

John Locke

Book, Men, Giving

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Whoever has used what means he is capable of, for the informing of himself, with a readiness to believe and obey what shall be taught and prescribed by Jesus, his Lord and King, is a true and faithful subject of Christ s kingdom:;; and cannot be thought to fail in any thing necessary to salvation.

John Locke

Jesus, Kings, Believe

John Locke (1824). “The Works of John Locke: The reasonableness of Christianity. A vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity, from Mr. Edward's reflections. A second vindication”, p.233

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The mind being, as I have declared, furnished with a great number of the simple ideas conveyed in by the senses, as they are found in exterior things, or by reflection on its own operations, take notice, also, that a certain number of these simple ideas go constantly together... which, by inadvertency, we apt afterward to talk of and condier as one simple idea.

John Locke

Simple, Reflection, Ideas

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Nobody is made anything by hearing of rules, or laying them up in his memory; practice must settle the habit of doing, without reflecting on the rule; and you may as well hope to make a good painter, or musician, extempore, by a lecture and instruction in the arts of music and painting, as a coherent thinker, or a strict reasoner, by a set of rules, showing him wherein right reasoning consists.

John Locke

Art, Memories, Practice

John Locke, James Augustus St. John (1872). “Philosophical Works: Preliminary discourse by the editor. On the conduct of the understanding. An essay concerning human understanding”, p.37

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This is my destiny — I'm supposed to do this, dammit! Don't tell me what I can and can't do!

John Locke

Destiny, My Destiny, I Can

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If to break loose from the bounds of reason, and to want that restraint of examination and judgment which keeps us from choosing or doing the worst, be liberty, true liberty, madmen and fools are the only freemen: but yet, I think, nobody would choose to be mad for the sake of such liberty, but he that is mad already.

John Locke

Thinking, Mad, Liberty

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For a man's property is not at all secure, though there be good and equitable laws to set the bounds of it, between him and his fellow subjects, if he who commands those subjects, have power to take from any private man, what part he pleases of his property, and use and dispose of it as he thinks good.

John Locke

Men, Thinking, Law

John Locke (1751). “Works”, p.207

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Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.

John Locke

Men, Blood, Criminal Mind

John Locke (1821). “Two treatises of government”, p.196

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I esteem it above all things necessary to distinguish exactly the business of civil government from that of religion and to settle the just bounds that lie between the one and the other.

John Locke

Lying, Government, Atheism

John Locke (1796). “A Letter Concerning Toleration”, p.10

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Whensoever, therefore, the legislative shall transgress this fundamental rule of society, and either by ambition, fear, folly, or corruption, endeavour to grasp themselves, or put into the hands of any other, an absolute power over the lives, liberties, and estates of the people, by this breach of trust they forfeit the power the people had put into the hands... and it devolves to the people, who have a right to resume their original liberty, and... provide for their own safety and security.

John Locke

Ambition, Hands, People

John Locke (1947). “Two Treatises of Government: With a Supplement, Patriarcha, by Robert Filmer”, p.233, Simon and Schuster

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Truth certainly would do well enough, if she were once left to shift for herself...She is not taught by laws, nor has she any need of force, to procure her entrance into the minds of men.

John Locke

Truth, Lying, Men

John Locke (2012). “The Second Treatise of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration”, p.165, Courier Corporation

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The works of nature and the works of revelation display religion to mankind in characters so large and visible that those who are not quite blind may in them see and read the first principles and most necessary parts of it and from thence penet into those infinite depths filled with the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

John Locke

Character, Religion, Principles

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Born: August 29, 1632
Died: October 28, 1704
Occupation: Philosopher
Cite this Page: Citation

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