JOHN LOCKE

BIRTH AND DEATH

Birth: 9/8/1632     Death: 11/8/1704

OCCUPATION

scientist

BIOGRAPHY SUMMARY

John Locke was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism". Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, Locke is equally important to social contract theory. His work greatly affected the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His writings influenced Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American Revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence. Internationally, Locke's political-legal principles continue to have a profound influence on the theory and practice of limited representative government and the protection of basic rights and freedoms under the rule of law.

NOTABLE WORK

Two Treatises of Government

WHY THEY MATTER

John Locke's intellectual uniqueness lies in his significant contributions to Enlightenment philosophy, particularly in the realm of political theory. As a key figure in British empiricism and social contract theory, Locke's ideas greatly influenced the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His emphasis on individual rights, limited government, and the consent of the governed laid the foundation for liberal thought and had a lasting impact on subsequent philosophers and political movements, including the American Revolution and the establishment of modern democratic principles.

FAMOUS QUOTE

The three great things that govern mankind are reason, passion and superstition. The first governs a few, the two last share the bulk of mankind and possess them in their turns. But superstition most powerfully produces the greatest mischief.Journal entry (16 May 1681), quoted in Maurice Cranston,John Locke: A Biography(1957; 1985), p. 200

WIKIPEDIA PAGE

Wikipedia Page