John Locke -Philosophy Essay Essay

The polish off of equity is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and increase freedom. For in every the states of created cosmoss capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom hind end Locke. What I feel that behind Locke is attempting to express in his quote is that society believes that by having laws in place the administration is taking past from the freedom they long to endure. However, by having laws in place it actu entirelyy helps to enforce their in effect(p)s to freedom. I chose John Locke as my topic for my final root word because I attain taken an interest in the life he direct, his inspirations and his role in politics.John Locke was the first of the classical British empiricists. Empiricists believed that all companionship derives from experience. He became highly influential to the semipolitical world, inspiring political sympathies representatives such as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and James Madison. Locke expressed the topi c view that govern custodyt is examplely obliged to serve battalion by protecting life, liberty and property (n. a, n. d). He explained the principle of checks and balances in direct to limit the power of government. He alike favored representative government and rule of law.Locke insisted that when government violates individual objurgates, the people have a beneficial to rise up. His views on individual rights, life, happiness and politics led Locke to become cognise as the 17th century incline Philosopher of the enlightenment. John Locke was born terrific 29, 1632, in Somerset, England. He was the oldest son of Agnes Keene and John Locke. His father was a puritan lawyer who served as a clerk for justices of the peace (n. a. , n. d). With the assistance of his fathers connections to the English government, Locke received an exceptional education.In 1647 he enrolled at Westminster School in capital of the United Kingdom, where he earned his distinct honor of being named a Kings Scholar. This was a privilege that went to lonesome(prenominal) when recognize number of boys and set the path for Locke to attend rescuer perform, Oxford in 1652 (n. a. , n. d). Christ Church is considered the most prestigious school in Oxford. During this educational epoch period, Locke eng get alongd in logic and metaphysics. He graduated from Christ Church in 1656 and returned two years later to pursue a get the hang of the Arts. This accomplishment shortly led to Locke taking on tutorial constitute at the college.In 1668 Locke was elected a fellow of the olympian Society. The Royal Society is a fellowship of the worlds most superior scientist and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence (n. a. ,n. d. ). Locke then went on to study philosophy and medicine at the University of Oxford and graduated in 1674 with a bachelors of medicine. Locke did not want to commit his life to a religious order and therefore turned down a aeonian teaching positio n from Oxford. This opened the doors to an opportunity serving as a private physician and secretary to Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Earl of Shaftesbury (Kermerling, 2011).During the summer of 1666, Anthony Ashley Cooper take ined Oxford where he met Locke who was at the clipping studying medicine. Cooper, who was suffering from a liver cyst which jeopardise to become swollen and infected, requested that Locke be his personal physician. Locke accepted and soon moved into a room at the Coopers Exeter put forward military personnelsion in Westminster, London. Coopers condition worsened and Locke was in a position of opportunity to heal the Earl successfully. In 1668, Locke supervised a successfully surgery and save the life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Earl of Shaftesbury.This honorable act led Locke to become a valued partner of Shaftesbury. After Shaftesbury stature grew, so did Lockes responsibilities. He assisted in the Earls business and political matters and after Shaftsbury w as made chancellor, Locke became his secretary of presentations. Locke was involved in just astir(predicate) everything that Shaftsbury did. This included the formation of the Whig party. The Whig party was a political group which consisted of politicians from America, England and Scotland who unconnected King Charles I of England. Locke maintained correspondence with the party to assist with influencing parliamentary elections.Shaftsbury was imprisoned for a year and on his release he helped protract the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679 which made it unlawful for government to continue a person without filing formal charges. The act also specify that an individual could not be put on trial for the alike charge more than once (n. a. ,n. d). Shaftesbury was a strong function to John Locke and helped pave his way for future success through experience Empiricist. During the control of King Charles II it was illegal to write, read or have books in ones possession that pertained to any negative press against the government. Although it was risky, Locke act his mission.He wrote about his experience with political actions. One treatise attached a claim that the Bible sanctioned tyrants and that p atomic number 18nts had absolute authority over children. A second treatise presented an epic case for liberty and the right of people to rebel against tyrants. He pushed to a radical conclusion which cominged slavery and a defence force of revolution (n. a. , n. d. ). Locke fled to Rotterdam on September 7, 1683 to avoid legal action (n. a. , n. d. ). The English government tried to have Locke extradited for trial and possible hanging. Lock fled to London and assumed the name Dr. van der Linden. He signed letters as Lamy or Dr.Lynne (n. a. ,n. d. ). Locke assumed that the government would intercept mail, so he protected friends by referring to them with numbers or false names. His excuse to friends for moving to Holland was that he enjoyed the local beer. In Holland, Locke began to work on his philosophical masterpiece, An Essay Concerning clement Understanding which urged people to base their convictions on observation and intellectual. His argument was that all predilections, simple or complex, are ultimately derived from experience.He challenged the traditional article of belief that learning consisted entirely of reading ancient texts and absorbing religious dogmas (n.a. , n. d. ). He maintained that understanding that the world required observation. The essay was published in December 1689, and established Locke as Englands leading philosopher. In the essay, Locke states the temperament of his proposed doctrine Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas How comes it to be furnished?Whenced comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has varicoloured on it with almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience.In that all our knowledge is founded. (Valasquez, 2011) The book became one of the most widely reprinted and influential works on philosophy. It brought broad fame for Locke. So frequently, that he spent the rest of his life responding to admirers and critics by making revisions in later editions of the book, including detailed throwaways of human volition and moral freedom. Locke also published Two Treatise of Civil Government. These writings were published anonymously in order to avoid controversy. The First Treatise is a detailed rejection of the monarchist theories of Robert Filmer.Locke attacked Filmers claim that God sanctioned the absolute power of kings. During this time period, such an attack was risky since it could easily be prosecuted as an attack on the King Charles II. The Second Treatise of Government offers a systematic account of the foundations of political obligation. The views expressed within this treatise were so radica l that he only released his name as publisher in his leave. Lockes writings did practically to incite the libertarian ideals of the American Revolution. This, in turn, set an example which inspired people throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia.Lockes philosophy had a great effect on Americans as well. Thomas Jefferson ranked Locke as the most important thinkers on liberty. He also helped inspire Thomas Paines radical ideas about revolution. James Madison move most of his fundamental principles of liberty and government from Lockes writings. John Lockes writings were also included in the self-education of Benjamin Franklin. John Adams believed that both girls and boys should learn about Locke. Lockes influence even traveled to France where the French philosopher Voltaire called, Locke the man of the greatest wisdom.What he has not seen heart-to-heartly, I despair of ever seeing (n. a. , n. d. ). Mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton cherished his company. Locke helped Will iam Penn deposit his good name when he was political fugitive, just as Penn had set up a pardon for Locke when he had been a political fugitive. Locke was described by the famous English physician Dr. Thomas Sydenham as a man whom, in the acuteness of his intellect, in the steadiness of his judgment, in the simplicity, that is, in the truth of his manners, I confidently declare to have, amongst the men of our time, few equals and no superiors.(n. a. , n. d. ).It is amazing that Lockes work has affected so many people some the world. He was an undistinguished Oxford scholar. He had a brief experience with a failed diplomatic mission. He was a physician who lacked traditional credentials and had only one patient. His first major work was not published until the age of 57. All of this and he is still one of the leading philosophers of all time. In 1691, John Locke is invited to spend his last years with friends Francis and Damaris Masham.Damaris is also a philosopher and is believe d to have been romantically involved with Locke during their study years at Oxford. When Locke left for Holland, Damaris was to visit however it did not work out and she married Francis Masham (Uzgalis, 2012). During his stay with the Mashams Locke tutored their son Francis, here he begins to work on his treaties Thoughts Concerning Education. Lockes health gradually began to worsen. He lost most of his hearing and his legs began to swell. He could exactly bring himself to rise from bed. Around 300 in the afternoon, Saturday, October 28, 1704 he passed away (n. a, n. d. ). He was sitting in his study with Lady Marsham.Suddenly, he brought his work force to his face, shut his eyes and died. He was 72 years old. Lockes snap has primarily been based upon the ideas of freedom and equality as a whole. He believed that citizens should infixedly possess the right to life, liberty and happiness, which is portrayed in the system of the United States. These undisputable rights or natura l rights have derived from the law of nature. The law of nature is a state that relies purely on the law of God, which is also known as moral law. This law gave people the natural right to life, liberty, and happiness without question.In addition, Locke believed that people also possess the basic right of self-defense if under attack. However, Lockes key aspect of his theories was the basic idea of equality. He said that nobody has the right to rule and that consent is searing because its based on the premises that all people are equal (Uzgalis, 2012). John Locke is still very more known as a political philosopher in todays advanced(a) society. Because much of Lockes philosophy centered on subjects such as natural rights and knowledge, he has in-turn shaped American politics in such a way that it has never been the same.Locke has challenged many theories that have to do with inalienable rights as a part of natural law therefore he had much to do with the involvement in the evolut ion of the American Government. He taught that, men by nature possess certain rights. He had a large influence on all future political thinking. A clear representation of his involvement is portrayed in the declaration of independence. John Locke was, and will always be remembered as a pioneer in modern thinking.