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¶ … John Locke. There is one reference used for this paper.
There have been a number of theories which have influenced the field of psychology. It is interesting to examine John Locke's theory of knowledge and its influence on modern psychology.
Theory of Knowledge
John Locke's theory of knowledge "asserted that at birth the human mind is simply a blank receptacle awaiting its bombardment by sense data coming from outside the human body. This data in turn triggers the operation of the mind -- which he conceived basically as a machine designed to manipulate the data into structures called ideas. Some ideas are fairly simple and straightforward, such as hot, red, loud, sweet, putrid -- rather direct fed by the senses, while other ideas are more complex and require the mind to manipulate this data along more complicated structural lines -- of categories, of cause and effect relationships, of complex logical relationships (www.newgenevacenter.org/biography/locke2.htm)." The mind is able to learn and mature due to these experiences.
Locke's theory concerning the way a person learns about the world in which she or he lives is supported and reinforced by many of today's studies in psychology.
Locke believed that "there was no such thing as innate ideas which we are born with and which come into action as we mediate on them, which had previously been the classic understanding of how a person came to know their world (www.newgenevacenter.org/biography/locke2.htm)."
Modern psychologists can interpret Locke's theory of knowledge to imply that "ideas arise from external stimuli -- not from sources internal to the human mind (www.newgenevacenter.org/biography/locke2.htm)."
Conclusion
Although John Locke lived during the 17th century, his theory of knowledge is still utilized by many modern psychologists today.
References
John Locke. (accessed 23 February 2005). www.newgenevacenter.org/biography/locke2.htm).
He continued to study medicine with Thomas Sydenham as his mentor. (Wikipedia) He had an unsuccessful attempt to prevent James II from reaching the throne, and, as a result of his failure, he had been obliged to flee England. He did not return to England until 1689, when James II had been removed from power. It only took one year until he published his most important work: An Essay Concerning
If he also bartered away plums that would have rotted in a week, for nuts that would last good for his eating a whole year, he did no injury; he wasted not the common stock; destroyed no part of the portion of goods that belonged to others, so long as nothing perished uselessly in his hands (Locke, 1689). This quotation indicates that the author believes that a technique such as bartering
With this example, it is not surprising that John Locke is considered an instrument for the right political cause. Aside from the essays that he had written, Locke also has philosophies in the different subjects of life. This includes the role of families in the liberal society, theories on properties and money, ethics and beliefs, and many others. Locke's contribution to his generation and the modern society focused on the role
Locke's version of the social contract is essentially a justification for the wealthy to assert political control over everyone else. Locke's arguments justifying government were liberal, even radical for their time. The popular view was that kings ruled by mandate from God, and were not subject to the consent of the people. Locke's Two Treatises of Government were written during the exclusion crisis, and supported the Whig position that the
S. Constitution as offering much protection but instead view it as being the responsibility of the states to provide protection for private property owners. In the event that the courts "...continue to abdicate their role as the protector of individuals rights, then big government and powerful corporations will continue to run roughshod over the property interest of small landowners." (Liles, 2006, p.372) Liles holds that the legislature being allowed a leeway
This body then has the right and duty, especially if elected to represent to build the laws and enforce the judgment of those laws, as a reflection of the will of the consensus. Locke, having developed a keen sense of a rather radical sense of the rights of the individual and the responsibility of the civil government began his work with the development of what it is that constructs the