Locke and the mysteries of perception

In Locke and the mysteries of perception, volume 1, Walter Ott examines the complex evolution of John Locke's theory of perception. Set against a backdrop of shifting philosophical paradigms, the text explores how Locke navigated the collapse of Aristotelian views and the rise of Cartesian and neo-Epicurean thought. This scholarly work provides a unified reading of Locke's ideas by analyzing the specific goals and assumptions that drove his intellectual development.

The book positions Locke as a transitional figure who attempted to reconcile three disparate philosophical positions. He utilized Aristotelian doctrines of common sensibles, Cartesian theories of natural judgment, and Epicurean views on the passivity of sense perception. By examining his commitment to experience as the primary source of ideas, Ott investigates how Locke sought to create a coherent philosophy of perception that could accommodate the advancements of the new science.