John Locke

Background

John Locke was born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, Somerset, England. He was an English philosopher that was well known in the Enlightenment and inspired parts of the Constitution of the United States of America through his work. Politically, he thought that there was a social contact between citizens and that toleration was necessary, including religious toleration. Much of what he said wasn't implemented until after England's Glorious Revolution (1688-89) and the Declaration of Independence of the United States in 1776.

Early Life

Locke's family was part of the Church of England, but was sympathetic to Puritanism. At the start of the English civil war, Locke was 10 and his father was a captain in the cavalry of the parliamentarians and was in limited action. Locke most probably rejected the concept of divine right from an early age due to this. In 1667, at age 14, Locke went to Westminster School in London. There, he earned the King's Scholar honor and financial benefit, which enabled him to buy several books, most in Greek and Latin. By the age of 20 in 1652, Locke entered one of the largest of the University of Oxford's largest colleges, Christ Church. He found that the education provided there was unstimulating so he started reading works by other philosophers, such as Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon. He also got into medicine, which proved to have a big role in his later life.

Works

One of Locke's well known works is the Two Treatises of Government. The first treatise serves to refute a work by Sir Robert Filmer which defended the divine right of kings. Locke says that the concept of divine right is illogical and defies common sense, and therefore cannot be true. The second treatise explains Locke's political thoughts in which he shares how he feels about property, organization of government and the social contract between citizens. Another one of Locke's works is An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. The essay starts out with the question of what is the human mind capacity for understanding and knowledge. He then explains how the essay is not meant to be a contribution to knowledge but as a means of clearing away some of the intellectual rubbish that stands in the way of knowledge.

Guiding Philosophies

John Locke's guiding philosophy was every man is entitled to certain rights that no political body can take away. This is very important because when absolute monarchs ruled, all checks and balances got thrown out the window, which included caring for your people. An absolute monarch could treat his people in any way he/she wanted to and could get away with it because there isn't anyone with enough power to stop them. This really resonated with the English people after they had been treated like dirt from a succession of absolute monarchs.

Influences

John Locke influenced history in a number of ways. After he returned to England from Holland, he helped draft the English Bill of Rights, which allowed him to influence it with his ideas of religious tolerance. Although the final draft took a lighter approach to his ideas, his thoughts still changed the way England looked at itself and its people. Locke also influenced the American Declaration of Independence. His ideas of certain unalienable rights, right of property, freedom of religion and e.t.c were all included. The world wouldn't have been the same if it weren't for John Locke's ideas and philosophies on society and government.

Works Cited

Conolly, Patrick J. "Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Iowa State University, Web. 07 June 2016.

http://www.iep.utm.edu/locke/#H4

"John Locke." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 3 Jun. 2016.

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"John Locke." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. World History in Context. Web. 2 June 2016.

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Short, Bradford William. "The Healing Philosopher: John Locke's Medical Ethics." Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/215293832/8CC511176C3E4959PQ/1?accountid=4092>

Title page of Two Treatises of Government (Locke)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2016. Web. 2 June 2016. <http://ancienthistory.abcclio.com/Search/Display/1240051?terms=John+Locke>