aying that there are noinnate ideas. He states that by understanding our own mindwe can deter doubt.Locke proposes three separate possibilities abouttruth. The first is that there is no such thing as truth. The second is that there is no way to obtain truth. Thethird reason is that we can understand implied things butnot be absolutely certain about them. Locke believed thatwe never deal with certainty and everyday we deal withpossibility....and it will be unpardonable, as well aschildish peevishness, if we undervalue theadvantage of our knowledge and neglect to improveit to ends for which it has given us, becausethere are some things that are set out of thereach of it.(Locke 57).Locke states that not all innate ideas come fromnatural ability. He says that a universal consent doesnot prove innate ideas. They could arise from experience. Locke supports this theory by saying that innate ideas areneither in children nor idiots. If these ideas were innatethen everyone would have them. He further states thatmathematical truths are learned from experience and are notinnate ideas.Descartes and Locke were two men with completelydifferent views. They each set out to prove their ownexistence in a different fashion. Although they do notagree with each other, each one of them presents a clear andintelligent argument. It is these arguments that have encouraged the human race to consider the possibility ofexistence long after the death of Descartes and Locke. People will continue to debate their viewpoints for years tocome and maybe, one day we will know the meaning ofexistence....
