John Locke's 'Of Words'

In the Book III “Of Words” of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke discussed about words and ideas. In the first chapter, he states that human are made by God with an ability to communicate with each other using articulate sounds, which are words. Though it is not enough to produce language. In order for words or signs become language, they are required to signify the ideas in one’s mind so that the thought can be conveyed from one to another. However, it would not be practical to put a word for every idea, so general terms come in use. A general term is a single word that marks a multitude of particular existences. Then, general terms stand for general ideas, and particular ideas are used for particular words. There are also words that …show more content…
The connection between words and ideas are not natural but voluntary imposition and arbitrary. The ideas that words stand for are their proper and immediate signification. No matter how imperfectly or carelessly those ideas are collected from the things that they are supposed to represent, words are the immediate signification of nothing but the ideas in the mind of him that uses them. In order for the ideas to be understood, they need to be conveyed by speech. We cannot use words without actually knowing the ideas that they stand for. Even though words signify only ideas immediately, they also are often referred secretly. First, they refer to ideas in other men’s minds, and it is necessary for understanding. Otherwise, the speaker and the hearer would speak two languages. Secondly, words also stand for the reality of things. However, the use of words is abused if we used them to stand for anything else but the ideas of our own minds. Since words signify the ideas in men’s minds immediately. In constant use, when the others hear words, they readily accustomed to bring forth their