This is why Locke includes forbearance within his definition of an action the mental action to halt oneself from proceeding is, in another way, something we actively do. These actions, it should be noted, are not just of the motions of the body for Locke they also pertain to motions of the mind. The actions, likewise, are things that we actually do, not merely receive e.g., the getting shoved by an individual on the rugby field is a happening received, while the showing of another is an active delivery of force. Thus, as is highlighted in Locke’s example, when a ball is struck by a billiard stick, a ball receives the change and “obeys” (through its ability to do so) the motion of that billiard stick that is, the ball which is struck is said to be passive whereas that which struck it is serving as an active power. The active power is that which changes the passive is that which is changed. It is true for Locke that the action a mind or body takes is closely related to the concept of power, of which he separates into two kinds: active and passive.Ī power, for Locke, is that which allows some entity to change or be changed by another.
Locke begins with a recognition of our ability to begin and forbear actions of our minds and the movements of our bodies. To begin, it would be beneficial to say a word about action and powers in Locke’s construction. Moreover, it seems to me that Locke’s chapter On Power (B.II Ch.XXI) does not receive enough attention in modern debates regarding human will. How does he support this conclusion? That is the question this essay will aim to answer. Locke’s understanding of action, the will, and liberty, as we will see, results in his taking the question “ Do we have free will?” to be incoherent. Yet, his conception of freedom is a novel one. The text itself went through five revisions, with significant changes appearing in edition two and the posthumous edition five. In Book II, Chapter XXI of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke presents a theory of freedom. However, for John Locke, this question is absurd. The notion of personal will - and its freedom - is one that has caused endless discussion throughout the annals of Western philosophy. All quotes from Essay Concerning Human Understanding, B.II Ch.XXI
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