An Essay Concerning Human Understanding: In Four Books; Volume 1

Focusing on the foundation of human knowledge, Locke presents the mind at birth as a blank slate, emphasizing that understanding is shaped by experience. His essay, first published in 1689, serves as a key text for empiricism, significantly impacting Enlightenment thinkers like Hume and Berkeley. In Book One, Locke challenges the rationalist belief in innate ideas, laying the groundwork for modern philosophical discourse on knowledge and understanding.