John Locke

Who was he? (Maria)- Born in the early 17th century.- Well-off: (1) Father a lawyer, (2) Father worked in

Parliament, (3) Locke attended the prestigious Westminster School

- English philosopher - One of the most important thinkers of his time!- Regarded as one of the most important - Considered the Father of “Classical Liberalism”- His work influenced the United States Declaration

of Independance

His Beliefs (Reyhaneh)

Locke major works were in the field of political philosophy and like Hobbes he believed in a social contract. He thought that by themselves people are selfish and the best way for people to live is establish a civil society. Unlike Hobbes, Locke thought Revolution is not only a right of the people but in some situations a necessity.

His Beliefs cont… (Reyhaneh)

- Theories of religious tolerance: Believed in the acceptance of different religions.

- The Self: This idea gave us Lockes perspective on the person and identity. He believed that all our ideas come

from our experiences in this world. He was a british empiricist.

- Property: each has ownership in the things they generate from their own labour.

Historical Context of his Work

● The Treatises were written with this specific aim to defend the Glorious Revolution.

● Locke also sought to refute the pro-Absolutist theories of Sir Robert Filmer, which he and his Whig associates felt were getting far too popular.

● Although not as immediate a challenge, Locke's work also serves as a major counter-argument to Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, in which Hobbes argues in favor of absolutist government to keep people from abusing property and privacy.

The Second Treatise of Government (Jananiy)

● Emphasizes the idea of placing sovereignty into the hands of the people.● Stated that everyone has equal rights and is able to act as they please as

long as they act under the law of nature, all while being free from any outside ruling.

● He modeled a civil state built upon the natural rights common to people who need executive power to protect their property and liberties.

● He believes that a government's main priority is to meet the needs of its people and if it fails to do so the people have the rightful power to overthrow the government.

● The Second Treatise offered political theories and is recognized as an important contribution to political thought.