Burnet, Thomas (c.1635-1715)

Third Remarks upon an Essay Concerning Humane Understanding

London

Printed for M. Wotton

1699

Natural Conscience is a "Natural Light"

Now, if this Account of Natural Conscience, or what you call Practical Principles, be true; there are, in my opinion, in your Third Chapter, mention'd before, several Defective Reasonings, or Ill-grounded Suppositions. One I have spoke to, viz. that you represent this Natural Light, or Natural Conscience, like our Idea's or Propositions in Mathematicks, clear and distinct. I do not consider or apprehend it so, but yet sufficient for a general Direction of our Actions and Lives. You say your self, I deny not that there are Natural Tendences imprinted on the Minds of Men; and that from they very first instances of Sense and Perception, there are some things that are grateful, and others unwelcome to them; some things that they encline to, and others that they flie. Grant us in the Soul such a like Principle, which we name Natural Conscience, as a Spring and Motive of our Actions (for that Virtue you give there to your Principle) in reference to Moral Good and Evil: Or, which I suppose is all one, as a Rule or Direction to our Actions; Grant this, I say, and we desire no more: Give that Principle what Name you please, so it have the same Effect in the Direction of our Actions. Whether it appear sooner or later, and be more or less prevalent, that will not exclude it from being a Natural Principle: 'Tis so in Reason, and Passions, and in our distinguishing some Sensible Qualities, and in what we call Pudor Naturalis; yet those Principles are by all accounted Natural."
(p. 9)

Light

Reading Burnet's three Remarks

See Third Remarks Upon an Essay Concerning Humane Understanding in a Letter Address'd to the Author. (London: Printed for M. Wotton, 1699). <Link to EEBO-TCP>

Reading Burnet, Thomas; Locke, John, and Porter, Noah. Remarks Upon an Essay Concerning Humane Understanding: Five Tracts. (Garland Publishing, Inc. New York and London, 1984).

Lockean Philosophy; Innate Ideas; Moral Sense

03/15/2005