more from John Locke

Single Idea 12517

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / c. Vagueness as ignorance]

Full Idea

A source of confusion is when any complex idea is made up of too small a number of simple ideas, and such only as are common to other things, whereby the differences that make it deserve a different name are left out.

Gist of Idea

Ideas are uncertain when they are unnamed, because too close to other ideas

Source

John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 2.29.07)

Book Reference

Locke,John: 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding', ed/tr. Nidditch,P.H. [OUP 1979], p.365


A Reaction

In other words, a word covers a variety of entities, and so it cannot possibly pinpoint any of them exactly. Cats all differ, but so do small and large circles.