A Biography of John Locke, an English Philosopher

Introduction

John Locke was born on August 29th, 1632, in Wrington, England. He was raised by two Puritan parents: Agnes Keen and John Locke Sr. His father was a lawyer and had to raise Locke by himself after Keen died during childbirth. By age 20, Locke went on to study medicine at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1652. In 1668, he joined the Royal Society and worked under The Earl of Shaftesbury. He eventually became a well-known philosopher and political theorist who passed away on October 28th, 1704.

The Father of Liberalism

Locke has been nicknamed “The Father of Liberalism” for his beliefs in individual liberty and minimal government intervention in the lives of citizens. He greatly focused on the study of the importance and capabilities of the human mind. Locke’s philosophy on human nature differed from many other philosophers. The state of nature refers to the way people naturally existed before governments were established. Thomas Hobbes believed that human beings were born with thoughts of self-interest and were prone to do wrong. Therefore, he conveyed the state of nature to be filled with solidarity, fear, violence, and death (Hobbes, 1651). Hobbes also claimed that people can only achieve salvation through the government keeping them in control. Jean-Jacques Rousseau completely disagreed with Hobbes' ideas. Rousseau claimed that people were naturally good and innocent in the state of nature. Humans were born with thoughts of compassion and love for their fellow man but were corrupted by society (Rousseau, 1762). Compared to Hobbes and Rousseau, Locke’s thoughts on this fell somewhere in the middle. Locke believed that human beings had neither good nor bad thoughts at birth. He stated that people came into the world with empty minds that fill with age. Education plays a crucial role in how children turn out as adults. Locke points out that human beings have an ability for selfish tendencies. However, he disagrees with Hobbes on the appearance of the state of nature. He portrays life without government as good and peaceful. People would mostly do right, honor their obligations, and keep promises (Locke, 1689).

Influence on Political Thought

John Locke also had a significant influence on the making of the Declaration of Independence. He rejected the idea of people becoming Kings and rulers under the command of God. Locke argued that everyone was free and equal by nature. Since humans were created free and equal, everyone had the same natural or individual rights. These natural laws included the right to life, liberty, and property. This was altered to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence (Jefferson, 1776). People cannot murder, steal, or take away the freedom of someone else. They are also not allowed to give up their rights to anyone. Locke states that people only need to answer to the laws of God. Human beings can do whatever they want if peace and the continuation of mankind are maintained. To do this, people must put effort into the resources God has provided them. For example, a farmer must use a field to grow food to feed himself and others. This is where Locke’s concept of private property comes in. According to Locke, human beings owned their bodies completely. Therefore, anyone can obtain property by creating a good or material through physical labor. A person who grows food or builds a house out of wood would own the final product. However, there are a couple of restrictions on private property. No one can violate another person’s rights by taking something that will hurt him or her in the process. A person also cannot take more than he can use. This would be wasting materials that should go to another person who needs them. Unfortunately, there are individuals that will violate these natural laws and will steal, kill, or indulge in overabundance.

Religious Freedom and Its Impact

Another influence John Locke had on the American government was his policy of religious freedom. There had been arguments for the government to have total control over what its citizens should believe in. Locke disagreed and responded to this by writing an essay called Toleration. He argued that people would not be able to come together and agree on one religion to follow. Locke stated that even if one religion was established, people could not truly believe by force. He also claimed religious uniformity would cause more societal destruction than diversity (Locke, 1689). Locke’s philosophy eliminated the belief that people should be locked up for having a different faith. This influenced the separation of church and state in America. Locke also played a role in the creation of the second amendment: the right to bear arms. He believed that people should take down the government if their natural rights were being taken away from them. Locke thought that having easy access to weapons would give citizens the ability to achieve this.

Conclusion

In conclusion, John Locke was a well-known philosopher and political theorist. His ideas about individual rights and minimal government intervention influenced countries like the United States. Locke had a reasonable balance when it came to the rights of the people and government control. There is not too much government involvement to be a dictatorship and not enough freedom to have anarchy. Locke's philosophy continues to be relevant in discussions about governance and human rights today, highlighting the enduring impact of his thoughts on modern society.

References

• Hobbes, T. (1651). Leviathan.
• Locke, J. (1689). Two Treatises of Government.
• Locke, J. (1689). A Letter Concerning Toleration.
• Rousseau, J.-J. (1762). The Social Contract.
• Jefferson, T. (1776). Declaration of Independence.