Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with many themes, including the origin of ideas; the extent and limits of human knowledge; the philosophy of perception; and religion and morality. It focuses on the last two of these topics and provides a clear and insightful survey of these overlooked aspects of John Locke's best known work. Four eminent Locke scholars present authoritative discussions of Locke's view on the ethics of belief, personal identity, free will and moral theory. For Locke, substances and modes have a number of basic distinguishing features. Substances are thing-like, or stuff-like, entities which ‘have a steady existence’ and which are capable of ‘subsisting by themselves’.