Essay Concerning Human Understanding Author:John Locke Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) withstood an onslaught by traditional theologians, for rejecting orthodox theology and the concept of innate ideas: as he suggested that God could make matter think. The Essay quickly became one of the most influential books of the eighteenth century, and its contributions to the philosophy... more » of space and time, matter and power were quickly hailed as formative contributions to the philosophy.« less