Locke, John (1632–1704)

BORN IN WRINGTON, Somerset, England, John Locke is well-known for his liberal political philosophies and as the founder of English empiricism. Because he spent a majority of his life in England, Locke's work was influenced by a tumultuous political and religious British reign, his connection to politics and political leaders, and the intellectual works of his European peers. Well educated, Locke had interests ranging from science and medicine to education and politics.

His works primarily addressed theories of knowledge and pedagogy, religious perspectives, educational theory, and political theory. He was the author of several noted publications, including Two Treatises on Government[Page 650](1690), “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1690), “A Letter Concerning Toleration” (1689), and “Some Thoughts Concerning Education” (1693), among others.

Locke's belief in the structure of nature and social life influenced his work profoundly. While it was popular belief at the time that people were born with innate knowledge, particularly in regard to God and moral codes, Locke was of the belief that our knowledge of these matters stemmed from our experiences. It was through our personal experiences that our understanding of natural order would enforce conceptions of religion and morality.

It was his belief in a “natural order” that also set Locke apart from many of his day. Locke believed that even without the intense regulation enforced within a civilized society there was a certain structure to social life, and this was accompanied by inalienable rights assured to humanity. It is from this belief in humanity's inalienable rights to “life, liberty, and estate” (estate can be taken to mean property) that Locke's work had profoundly influenced the construction of many societies’ political ideologies and structures (notably within the Constitution of the United States).

Locke argued that part of a government's mission was to protect the property of its subjects. This argument was enforced by his belief that the ownership of property was part of God's divine plan. Locke, within his second Treatise of Government, did not particularly expand or explain this assertion. Nor did he explain why the Creator's plan could not be interpreted to imply communal ownership of property or the means of production. Further, Locke argues that a person's labor was part of his property, of which a person had the right to sell this property (that is, labor), and that the products of this labor would then belong to the purchaser of said labor (capitalists)—this is in some respects a contradiction of Locke's assertions of a natural order and the nature of ownership and serves as a particular limitation to his theoretic work.

While Locke did believe in the natural virtuosity of man, he also supported the existence of government. From his perspective government should be tasked with the protection of property, but should also serve as a means to foster and inform the virtue of man. Locke did not specifically argue against the conception of rule via divine right (as was seen in many of the monarchies of his day); he did, however, argue that those being governed should consent to being ruled. Thus the government or system of rule was to be enforced and legitimized by the consent of the people. This would not only enforce legitimacy of the ruler or government but would encourage moral leadership.

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