Q0186
“Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this…” — John Locke (An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II.i.2)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II.i.2. Theme: experience.
English
Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II.i.2 and files it under British Empiricism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About John Locke
John Locke (1632–1704) was the English philosopher of empiricism and liberal politics whose Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises of Government defined a century’s agenda. Associated with Shaftesbury and the Glorious Revolution settlement, he wrote on toleration, education, and money.
How to read this passage
Empiricists treat experience as the source of ideas; phenomenologists describe its structure; pragmatists treat it as experimental and revisable. This passage enters that discussion through experience, knowledge.
Concepts in this quote
- Experience
- Experience is the lived encounter with world and self—foundation or limit for knowledge, art, and ethics.
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
How to cite this quotation
APA: John Locke. (n.d.). Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0186
MLA: John Locke. “Whence has it all the materials of reason….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0186.
Chicago: John Locke. “Whence has it all the materials of reason….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0186.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Whence has it all the materials of reason…”?
The passage is attributed to John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II.i.2. The archive attributes this English wording to An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, II.i.2 and files it under British Empiricism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does John Locke mean by experience?
Empiricists treat experience as the source of ideas; phenomenologists describe its structure; pragmatists treat it as experimental and revisable. This passage enters that discussion through experience, knowledge.