An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Author:John Locke An Essay Concerning Human Understanding is an epistemological work by John Locke on the foundations of human knowledge and understanding. It was first published in 1689. Within it he outlines the notion of the blank slate at birth (tabula rasa), which is then filled in by experience in the world. The books of the Essay is one of the principle wo... more »rks of empiricism and influenced many enlightenment philosophers including David Hume and George Berkeley. Book I deals attempts to the rationalist conception of innate ideas. Book II exposits Locke's theory of ideas, and his distinction between simple and complex ideas. Book III is concerned with the philosophy of language, and Book IV is primarily epistemic, with a look at intuition, ethics, mathematics, faith, doxa, and natural philosophy.« less