John Locke (1632 - 1704) was one of the most influential philosophers in Western society in the era of bourgeois revolutions. In his philosophy, epistemology played a central role and was closely related to other ideas including education. In this paper, the author clarifies the influence of epistemology, especially sensory empiricism to the educational thought of John Locke, the development of later thinkers based on the critical succession principle of J. Locke and explains its significance for the current Vietnamese educational innovation. The study of the influence of empirical epistemology in the educational thought of John Locke is a meaningful work in bringing deeper understanding of his educational ideology, through that draws a historical lesson for the current Vietnamese educational reform