Like Erasmus during the Reformation or Voltaire during the Enlightenment, John Locke’s passion for philosophy came from living in a time of crisis. It is not unusual for great thinkers and scholars to emerge during times of economic and political turmoil. During the time that John Locke was living, 1632-1704, many factors contributed to political unrest in England. One such factor was the English civil war that occurred from 1642-1649. This war showed political instability as the King and Parliament fought over sovereign rights. It was unclear who would gain sovereign powers and rule over England. The trouble began far before this, but came into fruition when Charles I attempted an absolute monarchy and ruled without parliament from 1629-1640.
John Locke was an English philosopher who lived during 1632-1704. In political theory he was equally influential. Contradicting Hobbes, Locke maintained that the original state of nature was happy and characterized by reason and tolerance; all human beings were equal and free to pursue "life, health, liberty, and possessions." The state formed by the social contract was guided by the natural law, which guaranteed those inalienable rights. He set down the policy of checks and balances later followed in the U.S. Constitution; formulated the doctrine that revolution in some circumstances is not only a right but an obligation; and argued for broad religious freedom.
a law made by God, called the Law of Reason. This law gives humankind liberty,
The American Revolution, which began in 1775, ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the United States of America. The American Revolution occurred when the American colonies got tired of being treated unfairly under the control of King George III and his parliment. Britain expected obedience from the American colonies regardless of the obscene laws they opposed on them. The American colonies, however, believed that they had certain rights that Britain should respect which included being treated fairly and justly. This raised ideas such as the ‘natural rights’ of individuals and the responsibility of the government to protect these rights (Goldfield page 159 par 1). Philosopher John Locke argued that governments could only rule if consent were given by the people it governed (Locke page 2 par 4). The colonists increasingly felt that they were not being ruled in a representative way by Britain, and began to demand ‘equality’ and since the British refused to give in, the American patriots rebelled violently against the British authority. A war erupted and the outcome the American colonies were seeking was freedom and independence. This began the American Revolutionary war, which lasted for 8 years and end in 1783(Goldfield page 160 par 4).
John Locke is considered to be one of the most prominent philosophical & political figures of the era known as the Enlightenment because of his immense contributions to modern-day government. Locke’s beliefs & radical views on how government should serve are expressed through much of his writings. He believed that the government has a moral obligation to serve its people through protecting their natural rights of Life, Liberty, & Property. The beliefs stated in his works contributed to much of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. John Locke played the greatest role in shaping modern-day government through his beliefs & contributions that laid the foundation for our current political system & constitution.
The Founding Fathers of the United States relied heavily on many of the principles taught by John Locke. Many of the principles of Locke’s Second Treatise of Government may easily be discovered in the Declaration of Independence with some minor differences in wording and order. Many of the ideas of the proper role of government, as found in the Constitution of the United States, may be discovered in the study of Locke. In order to understand the foundation of the United States, it is vital that one studies Locke. A few ideas from Hume may be found but the real influence was from Locke. Rousseau, on the other hand, had none.
This paper is about John Locke who was a philosopher in the 17-century. He was an Englishmen and his ideas formed the basic concept for the government and laws, which later allowed colonist to justify revolution. I agree with what Locke is saying because everybody should be able to have their own freedom and still respect the freedom of other people. John said, “Individuals have rights, and their duties are defined in terms of protecting their own rights and respecting those of others”. This paper will present to you information about his enlightenment, personal information, and how we as people feel about his decisions.
John Locke (b.1632,d. 1704) was an influential British philosopher and political theorist whose philosophies and theories continue to inspire. He is often viewed as the founder of British Empiricism and one of the foundational influences of modern, liberal governments.
Locke's Second Treatise of Government, by far, is his most influential and important piece of writing. In it he set forth his theory of natural law and natural right. He shows that there does exist a rational purpose to government, and one need not rely on "mysticism and mystery." Against anarchy, Locke saw his job as one who must defend government as an institution. Locke's object was to insist not only that the public welfare was the test of good government and the basis for properly imposing obligations on the citizens of a country, but also that the public welfare made government necessary.
John Locke, one of the most influential philosophers of his time, was born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, a small village in England. His father, also named John, had been a lawyer as well as a military man who once served as a captain in the parliamentary army during the English civil war. Locke’s parents were both very devout Puritans and so to no surprise, Locke himself was raised with heavily Puritan beliefs. Because Locke’s father had many connections to the English government at the time of his growing up, John was given a rare gift at that time, an outstanding education.
In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke proposes an idealized state of nature in which men are self-sufficient and content. The implications of his idealized population lead him to derive the existence of government from its own theoretical roots: Locke proposes government as a naturally occurring consequence of his state of nature. This derivation is founded on the injustice of man in his natural state: it is the imperfections found in the state of nature that necessitate government. This paper aims to show why the inequality caused by the existence of a market economy is an intentional and necessary path from Locke’s state of nature to the existence of the commonwealth. It will first argue that unequal possession is an inevitable consequence of property as defined by Locke. It will then show why this inequality is a necessary transition out of the state of nature for mankind. It will finally argue that each man’s consent to currency, and the injustice it brings, is the foundation for the overall consent to the commonwealth. The existence of inequality is naturally introduced and maintained throughout Locke’s argument. Hobbes successfully defends that economic inequality is both a natural and crucial part of political society; both the inequality of human ability and the resulting economic inequality precede the existence of an ideal state.
There he lay as a normal infant, red and whimpering. How does the mind of a baby grow to become one of the greatest political philosophers the world has known? From his response to the Puritan upbringing by his father, to “The Reasonableness of Christianity”, which John Locke published just five years before his death, John Locke's life demonstrates how God uses a mind dedicated to honest pursuit of ultimate Truth.
Locke and Mill understanding or freedom are very related to the social and cultural condition in their ages. Locke and Mill lie separated by almost two centuries of English history, and every society that come from different historical background despite the similar region have their own unique problems that needed different treatement and solution. In this sense, Locke and Mill understanding of liberty cannot be divorced from the society they live in, because their works were an attempt to find solutions for the society problem at their time.
Whenever I look at John Locke’s political view, it surprises me that he was able view government the way he did because he grew up in the renaissance. During the renaissance period, people were not interested in protecting property; their focus was on their position on the hierarchical social ladder. So the fact that his political views so closely resemble a premature form of democracy amazes me. John Locke understood that in a government there needs to be sovereign authority but he realized that sovereign authority should not have absolute power. With that in mind, John Locke constructed a blueprint for a government that provides for the pursuit and securing of life, liberty, and property.
“¬¬” A revolution is the replacement of a government by a different one. The idea of revolution has been around since the first kingdoms were found. However, the idea was not as developed until the enlightenment. John Locke, one of the greatest philosophers of all time came up with the idea that if a government does not function properly, people can rebel and form a new government.
The 17th century was a period of time dealing with a drastic change that has veered the world into a new state of affairs. Wars between countries and within countries were at a peak. What solutions were there to fix the mayhem? It was an answer that many philosophers were trying to figure out. This writing assignment's intentions are not on the study of philosophy, but rather on the philosophical figures that have helped mold what the world is today. John Locke, a philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, a political philosopher, and Bishop Bossuet, a theologist and bishop, are three people from the 17th century whose views has set courses in history. Locke, Hobbes, and Bossuet had answers to what kind of government was needed to fit human nature. These characters of history have influenced many regions of the world during its time; to learn what they believed will help explain why.