An inherent divine consciousness is the true basis of reality

[Sri Aurobindo viewed John Locke's empiricism as a fundamentally limited and inadequate approach to knowledge. While acknowledging the role of sensory experience, Aurobindo's own philosophical and spiritual system, Integral Yoga, sought a deeper, more complete truth that included intuitive and spiritual knowledge, which went far beyond the boundaries of Lockean thought. A personal note from Aurobindo confirms his lack of engagement with Locke's philosophy. 

Primary criticism: Limiting the sources of knowledge

The core of Sri Aurobindo's critique lies in his rejection of the arbitrary limitation of knowledge to sensory data. For Aurobindo, empiricism's premise—that all knowledge is derived from experience—is flawed from the start. 

Arbitrary premise: According to Aurobindo, the empiricist position begins with an arbitrary premise that knowledge is solely built on sense experience. This pronounces its own insufficiency because it excludes entire domains of consciousness and reality.

The external vs. inner world: Locke's empiricism, based on sensation and reflection on those sensations, creates a problem for understanding anything beyond one's own mind, including the existence of other people and the physical world.

Rejection of the "blank slate": Locke's concept of the tabula rasa, or blank slate, is fundamentally at odds with Aurobindo's view of an inherent, divine consciousness that is the true basis of reality. 

A hierarchy of knowledge

In contrast to Locke's single, linear method of acquiring knowledge, Aurobindo proposed a four-fold order, with empirical, sensory experience at the lowest level. 

Level of Knowledge Description Comparison with Locke

Intuitive Knowledge A direct, immediate, and self-evident knowing that is independent of logic and inference.

Contradicts Locke: While Locke acknowledges intuition as a form of knowledge of real existence, Aurobindo defines it as a far higher, more direct faculty that transcends the intellectual mind.

Knowledge by Identity An even higher form of intuitive knowledge that results from a direct identification with the self-luminous reality of existence itself.

Beyond empiricism: This concept has no equivalent in Locke's system, as it operates on a spiritual rather than mental level.

The reasoning intellect The logical mind that analyzes and interprets the findings of intuition and the external world.

Limited by Aurobindo: While the intellect is useful, Aurobindo saw it as insufficient for achieving complete truth. He even stated that an untrained intellect is "unsafe and unreliable".

Sense-perception / Empiricism The knowledge gained through the five senses.

Lowest level for Aurobindo: This is the highest form of knowledge for Locke but the lowest for Aurobindo, representing only the surface level of reality.

Sri Aurobindo's personal disregard for Locke

In a personal note on his philosophical development, Sri Aurobindo stated that he found John Locke and his works "very cold". He noted that his interest in general philosophy was sporadic and that Locke's ideas did not resonate with him. This indicates that Locke's philosophy did not significantly contribute to the formation of Aurobindo's own thought, which drew more from a synthesis of Vedantic, spiritual, and evolutionary ideas.] - GoogleAI