An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1695

ALAN DAVIES AND CATHERINE ELDER


’Tis of great use to the sailor to know the length of his line, though he cannot

with it fathom all the depths of the ocean. ’Tis well he knows that it is long

enough to reach the bottom, at such places as are necessary to direct his

voyage, and caution him against running upon shoals that may ruin him.

Our business here is not to know all things, but those which concern our

conduct. If we can find out those measures whereby a rational creature, put in

that state which man is in the world, may and ought to govern his opinions

and actions depending thereon, we need not be troubled that some other things

escape our knowledge.

John Locke,

Role

social problems involving language.

Applied linguistics is often said to be concerned with solving or at least ameliorating