This second volume of John Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding contains Books III and IV, including his famous discussion of words and language. Locke examines how words signify ideas, how language can mislead, and the limits and extent of human knowledge.
Book III, on words, is a foundational text in the philosophy of language, analyzing the imperfections and abuses of speech and the relation between names and the things they stand for. Locke’s lucid prose and empirical spirit shaped Enlightenment thought across Europe. This volume remains essential reading for students of philosophy, epistemology, and the theory of meaning.