Perspective

It is somewhat odd to talk about the perspective in a book like this; still, Locke clearly takes the perspective of someone who is investigating these issues for the first time. Locke references other thinkers and refers to their work but he does not rely on their answers to guide his own. His empiricism is unique and radical and since he is striking out into new territory, other, previous thinkers will not necessarily be able to help direct his inquiry. This leads to some problems with the narrative of the Essay.

Some questions that Locke deals with are so interesting that he seems to want to deal with them exclusively for long periods without returning to the general narrative. This can be disconcerting to the reader even when, especially when, the digressions are important and interesting.

Locke's perspective on these issues is unique, at least at the time...