Aquinas and Locke on Empiricism, Epistemology, and Education

Abstract

There are significant similarities between Aquinas’ and Locke’s theory of knowledge. For one, both are well-known empiricists. For another, there are important commonalities between Aquinas’ account of scientia and Locke’s account of knowledge. Both also hold that this ultimate form of human knowing is to be distinguished from ‘lesser’ epistemic states, such as belief and opinion.

Given their shared stance on the origin of human knowledge, and their similar views on the nature of such knowledge, would their theories of learning be similar? In this essay, I seek to answer this question. In doing so, I hope to contribute my mite to the history of ideas by connecting the accounts of knowledge and learning in Aquinas’ and Locke’s work. Perhaps more importantly, I examine the ways in which the acceptance of a particular theory of knowledge can shape one’s theory of learning, and, in particular, the role of the teacher in such learning.