ABSTRACT
There is a significant amount of historical and archival evidence that Locke conceived of natural philosophy in Baconian terms as the compilation of natural histories. 1 It is not surprising, therefore, when we turn to the Essay concerning Human Understanding to find that an important part of his prescription for the method of natural philosophy is the construction of natural histories. In his few sustained treatments of method in natural philosophy in the Essay, and in occasional obiter dicta, Locke appears to give pride of place to the construction of natural histories. For example, in IV. xii. 10 Locke tells us that the way to improve our knowledge of the nature of bodies is:
only by Experience and History, which is all that the weakness of our Faculties in this State of Mediocrity, which we are in in this World, can attain to … Experiments and Historical Observations we may have, from which we may draw Advantages of Ease and Health, and thereby increase our stock of Conveniences for this Life: but beyond this, I fear our Talents reach not, nor are our Faculties, as I guess, able to advance.
(Essay, p. 645) 2