John Locke was very influential during the age of the Enlightenment. His writings challenged the philosophies of thinkers of the time, including both Scots and Americans. He was the first person to identify himself through his consciousness. He began to believe that there were endless possibilities of the human mind.
John Locke was born in Wrington, England on August 29th, 1632. He grew up in a Puritan household, and he was baptized the day he was born. His family was moved to Pensford shortly after he was born, growing up in a Tudor house. Because of his father and upbringing, Locke received a very high education. He first attended Westminster School in London in 1647, whose leader had earlier led John’s father. He then attended to Christ Church in Oxford. Locke had trouble understanding the curriculum of his undergraduate study, and this had a tendency to hurt his studies. His interest strayed to modern philosophers instead of the precise material he was taught in his classes. One of his friends introduced him to the study of medicine, and he found his real passion. He obtained a bachelor's degree, then a master's degree, and finally he received his bachelor's of medicine in 1674.
His career as a physician took flight in 1666. That year he met Lord Anthony Cooper, who came to his town to have his liver infection treated. After Locke treated him, he hired Locke to be his permanent physician. He continued to study medicine with a man named Thomas Sydenham. Cooper's infection soon got worse, and so Locke sought the advice of other physicians. He convinced Cooper that he should get the cyst removed surgically, which was a risky operation at the time, but the infection was successfully removed. Cooper believed that Locke saved hi...
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... government system functioned quite properly due to the unique balance of power more so leaning towards society. His view on people’s abilities and freedoms inspired and determined others. He helped us recognize in ourselves what he says in his works and philosophies. He also helped us to learn about our human natures, behaviors, and aspirations for freedom and happiness in the world. Without Locke’s revolutionary ideas, the United States and its values would not be the same, and we would not have some of the greatest ideas of empiricism.
Works Cited
Uzgalis, William, "John Locke." Summer 2010. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) 1 Oct 2010, 18:36
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/locke/.
"John Locke." 2010. Biography.com. 1 Oct 2010, 17:56
http://www.biography.com/articles/John-Locke-9384544.
One of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers was John Locke, an English philosopher and physician. His work and ideas had a incomputable impact on modern day society. He was known as “Father of Liberalism” due to his opinions of freedoms and liberty. According to Locke, the people were entitled to have control over themselves as long as it adheres to the law. The Second Treatise on Civil Government by John
Trans. William Popple. N.p., c. 1686. - c Print. The.. 4) Locke, John.
Have you ever heard of the Enlightenment era in history? It was a significant period in time where people started to have new ideas in technology, science, politics, and philosophy. The Enlightenment also brought about a lot of memorable thinkers who still continue to influence us today. Among those thinkers included the very wise John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. John Locke was an excellent Enlightenment philosopher who actually influenced Thomas Jefferson’s writings for the Declaration of Independence. Their writings helped to create the unity in America, and justify the break from Great Britain. As a result, together these two famous philosophers helped our country become independent with the Declaration
John Locke believes everyone is born with a blank slate. Locke was born in England in 1632. When he was about 10 years old the English civil war was starting. He went to Christ Church,Oxford for college. Locke wanted to become a minister but instead became a doctor.
John Locke strongly believed in more rights for the people and was against oppression. In his book, Second Treatise on Civil Government, Locke stated, “(W)e must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose [manage] of their possessions. . .” (Document A). Locke means every man is naturally equal, no one was created better and he has certain guaranteed rights. This helps society because it would deny a monarch to strip a person of their guaranteed rights and it would make the monarch less powerful and his/her power would be given to the people.
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.
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.
What John Locke was concerned about was the lack of limitations on the sovereign authority. During Locke’s time the world was surrounded by the monarch’s constitutional violations of liberty toward the end of the seventeenth century. He believed that people in their natural state enjoy certain natural, inalienable rights, particularly those to life, liberty and property. Locke described a kind of social contract whereby any number of people, who are able to abide by the majority rule, unanimously unite to affect their common purposes. The...
Locke started his career teaching English at Howard University. Later on however, he became head of the Department of Philosophy. While he was working, he had developed some other interests in other fields as well. He liked music, art, literature, political theory, and anthropology to name a few.
John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both believe that men are equal in the state of nature, but their individual opinions about equality lead them to propose fundamentally different methods of proper civil governance. Locke argues that the correct form of civil government should be concerned with the common good of the people, and defend the citizenry’s rights to life, health, liberty, and personal possessions. Hobbes argues that the proper form of civil government must have an overarching ruler governing the people in order to avoid the state of war. I agree with Locke’s argument because it is necessary for a civil government to properly care for its citizens, which in turn prevents the state of war from occurring in society. Locke also has a better argument than Hobbes because Hobbes’ belief that it is necessary to have a supreme ruler in order to prevent the state of war in society is inherently flawed. This is because doing so would create a state of war in and of itself.
John Locke, one of the leading philosophers of the European Enlightenment was very important when it came to political thought in the United States. His ideas of the reasons, nature, and limits of the government became especially important in the development of the Constitution. In one of his most famous writings of that time, Two Treatises on Government (1689), Locke established a theory where personal liberty could coexist with political power ; meaning that the people would agree to obey the government and in return, the government would have the responsibility of respecting the people’s natural rights. In other words, he laid out a social contract theory that provided the philosophy and source of a governing author...
...wo systems that our government has today with the three different branches of government, each of which has some power over the others to create balance. John Locke influenced the American Revolution, and many other American governmental leaders who were crucial in outlining our country’s government. He gave Thomas Paine the inspiration to bring a nation to its feet, and he also influenced James Madison who drew up the principles of liberty and government (John Locke). John Locke’s Natural Rights are the basis for our Declaration’s “unalienable rights”. John Locke’s emphasis on constitutionalism and human understanding influenced our government with the ideas of limited government, balance of power, and a representative ruling body. With his written views he has shaped our country’s executive and legislative governmental power to this day (John Locke).
One of Locke’s largest points is "All ideas come from sensation or reflection” (Locke 101). He thinks that man is completely blank when they are born and that their basic senses are what gives them knowledge. Locke states, “Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper” (Locke 101). Locke is basically saying that human nature is like a blank slate, and how men experience life in their own ways is what makes them good or evil. Overall, Locke believes that any and all knowledge is only gained through life
In conclusion, Locke influenced the Founders of the United States heavily. The rights of man in the preservation of their property, lives and liberty have been guaranteed because of these ideas. Hume, though a skeptic, I believe would not be as skeptical now because there is now history of a government by the consent of the governed. Rousseau’s ideas have been vanquished by Locke’s ideas.
John Locke was a British philosopher and Oxford academic and medical researcher. Locke was regarded as one of the most influential thinkers and was known as the “Father of Classical Liberalism”. Locke was considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, and was equally important to social contract theory. His work significantly influenced the development of epi...