John Locke
English philosopher
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
To require that men should use their words constantly in the same sense and for none but determined and uniform ideas, would be to think that all men should have the same notions and should talk of nothing but what they have clear and distinct ideas of. Which is not to be expected by any one who hath not vanity enough to imagine he can prevail with men to be very knowing or very silent. And he must be very little skilled in the world who thinks that a voluble tongue shall accompany only a good understanding; or that men's talking much or little should hold proportion only to their knowledge.
—John Locke, English philosopher, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1690
Posted on December 16, 1999 at 5:24 PM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
I am not so vain to think that anyone can pretend to attempt the perfect reforming the languages of the world, no, not so much as of his own country, without rendering himself ridiculous.
—John Locke, English philosopher, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1690
Posted on August 26, 1998 at 7:07 PM
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