Locke Divided Experience into Sensation and Reflection

In his exploration into the nature of belief, seen from the psychological point of view Locke divided experience into two categories—first, sensation, or perception of external objects, and second, reflection, the activity in which the self observes its own state of mind, its own feelings and thoughts. According to Locke all human experience is embraced in these two categories; but the second, reflection, is based in and arises from the first, sensation. Sense impression of the external world must lead to introspective observation of the workings of one's own mind. Because these two processes are the only methods by which we can understand experience, they constitute the criteria against which we test and judge all beliefs and opinions. If, out of inspiration I propound a new school of thought Locke would insist that I be able to say where I got my ideas. He would ask whether my ideas could be analyzed into obvious simple, and precise experiences; and if they could not be, he would say that my position was untenable, without foundation, and therefore that it was not reliable knowledge.

Locke developed his thought in a number of brilliant essays in which he set forth his position that all sound ideas, no matter how fantastic they might seem or how noble they might be, must have their bases in facts, in our experience with the perceptible world around us. Any idea without such a foundation is not reliable and must not be constituted a basis for belief. Because this skeptical attitude toward speculation is characteristic of the thinking of the British people, we can look upon Locke as representative of his background. We can also note that on the one hand Locke is a successor of traditional philosophers, while on the other he is a pioneer of modern thinking. He is a successor in the sense that he developed traditional philosophy in a definite direction; and he is a pioneer in the sense that he paved the way and provided some of the basic tools for the development of modern thinking.

Locke believed every individual was capable of rational thought, and wanted to understand how individuals came to their beliefs.