John LOCKE^{[1, 2]}

1632 - 1704  (72 years)

• Name	John LOCKE
  Birth	29 Aug 1632	Wrington, United Kingdom
  Gender	Male
  HIST	This Month in S.C. History: July 21, 1669, 1st draft of the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina is completed John Locke, secretary to Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, who many thought authored the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Posted Wednesday, July 14, 2021 6:00 am BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY The South Carolina Encyclopedia describes the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina as "part constitution and part promotional tract." Although the first draft, also known as the "Grand Model," is in John Locke's handwriting, many scholars think that it was the combined work of the eight lords proprietors. Because Locke was secretary to the chief proprietor of Carolina, Anthony Ashley Cooper, he is sometimes credited with authoring much of the constitution. It outlined a society based on hereditary property and religious toleration, overseen by the lords proprietors and creating a nobility of men called landgraves. In the original draft, it was not legal to sell or purchase land, and all who settled in Carolina were required to pledge their support for the constitution and their allegiance to the proprietors. This first draft was shipped to Port Royal in the fall of 1669 and another copy was sent to the settlement at Albemarle, on the West Ashley River, and arrived in early 1670. Along with the constitution, the lords proprietors appointed new deputies in Albemarle and gave them instructions to implement the "Grand Model." Settlers in Albemarle and in Charles Town objected to several of the stipulations in the document. While the feudal-type society established under the Fundamental Constitutions was not at all progressive, the document did include some forward-thinking stipulations. The mere fact that the colony had a written constitution was innovative as was the policy of religious freedom. Over time, it was apparent that the landed hierarchy required by the constitution was too complex to implement and required a far greater population than the one that materialized. The Fundamental Constitutions was never officially adopted and was viewed by many settlers as unrealistic. Four other versions of the Fundamental Constitutions were drafted between 1669 and 1698. Gradually, more political power was given to the colonists, and the 1670 draft was altered to entice settlement. It allowed any church to be established by any seven people, except Catholics, and this encouraged the immigration of Huguenots, Baptists and Congregationalists. The last edition of the document was issued in 1698 and was much shorter than the original. It removed most of the focus on an established aristocracy. The colonial Commons House of Assembly debated the final version for several years. It was tabled in 1706 and never considered again. QUICK FACTS NAME John Locke BIRTH DATE August 29, 1632 DEATH DATE October 28, 1704 EDUCATION University of Oxford, Westminster School PLACE OF BIRTH Wrington, United Kingdom PLACE OF DEATH Essex, United Kingdom WHO WAS JOHN LOCKE? EARLY LIFE WRITINGS AND BELIEFS LATER YEARS AND IMPACT CITE THIS PAGE QUOTES “Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.” —John Locke John Locke Biography (1632–1704) UPDATED:JUN 12, 2020ORIGINAL:APR 2, 2014 English philosopher John Locke's works lie at the foundation of modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. Who Was John Locke? John Locke went to Westminster School and then Christ Church, University of Oxford. At Oxford, he studied medicine, which would play a central role in his life. He became a highly influential philosopher, writing about such topics as political philosophy, epistemology, and education. Locke's writings helped found modern Western philosophy. Early Life Influential philosopher and physician John Locke, whose writings had a significant impact on Western philosophy, was born on August 29, 1632, in Wrington, a village in the English county of Somerset. His father was a country lawyer and military man who had served as a captain during the English civil war. Both his parents were Puritans and as such, Locke was raised that way. Because of his father's connections and allegiance to the English government, Locke received an outstanding education. Education In 1647 he enrolled at Westminster School in London, where Locke earned the distinct honor of being named a King's Scholar, a privilege that went to only select number of boys and paved the way for Locke to attend Christ Church, Oxford in 1652. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: NexGard® is for use in dogs only. The most frequently reported adverse reactions include vomiting, itching, lethargy, diarrhea, and lack of appetite. The safe use of NexGard® in pregnant, breeding, or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. For more information, click here for full prescribing information. 1-2. Data on file at Boehringer Ingelheim. NexGard® is a registered trademark and FRONTLINE VET LABS™ is a trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. ©2020 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-PET-0921-2020-T At Christ Church, perhaps Oxford's most prestigious school, Locke immersed himself in logic and metaphysics, as well as the classical languages. After graduating in 1656, he returned to Christ Church two years later for a Master of Arts, which led in just a few short years to Locke taking on tutorial work at the college. In 1668 Locke was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He graduated with a bachelor's of medicine in 1674. Early in his medical studies, Locke met Lord Ashley, who was to become Earl of Shaftsbury. The two grew close and Shaftsbury eventually persuaded Locke to move to London and become his personal physician. As Shaftsbury's stature grew, so did Locke's responsibilities. He assisted in his business and political matters, and after Shaftsbury was made chancellor, Locke became his secretary of presentations. Writings and Beliefs Shaftsbury's influence on Locke's professional career and his political thoughts cannot be understated. As one of the founders of the Whig party, which pushed for constitutional monarchism and stood in opposition to the dominant Tories, Shaftsbury imparted an outlook on rule and government that never left Locke. In Locke's landmark, Two Treatises of Government put forth his revolutionary ideas concerning the natural rights of man and the social contract. Both concepts not only stirred waves in England but also impacted the intellectual underpinnings that formed the later American and French revolutions. As England fell under a cloud of possible revolution, Locke became a target of the government. While historical research has pointed to his lack of involvement in the incident, Locke was forced to leave in England in 1683 due to a failed assassination attempt of King Charles II and his brother, or what later came to be known as the Rye House Plot. Exiled in Holland, Locke composed "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," another groundbreaking work of intellectual might that spanned four books and took on the task of examining the nature of human knowledge. Just like his Two Treatises, the Essay was published after Locke's return to England in 1688. His arrival back in his homeland had come in the aftermath of the dramatic departure of King James II, who'd fled the country, allowing the Whigs to rise to power. Later called the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the event forever changed English government, moving the balance of power from the throne to Parliament. It also set Locke up to be a hero to many in his native country. Later Years and Impact In addition to his Essay and Two Treatises, Locke's return to England also saw him publish additional work, including A Letter Concerning Toleration, The Reasonableness of Christianity and Some Thoughts Concerning Education. A hero to the Whig party, Locke remained connected to governmental affairs in his advanced years. He helped steer the resurrection of the Board of Trade, which oversaw England's new territories in North America. Locke served as one of the body's key members. Long afflicted with delicate health, Locke died on October 28, 1704, in Essex, where he'd resided over the last decade of his life. Years after his death we are still gauging his impact on Western thought. His theories concerning the separation of Church and State, religious freedom, and liberty, not only influenced European thinkers such as the French Enlightenment writer, Voltaire but shaped the thinking of America's founders, from Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Jefferson. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Citation Information Article Title John Locke Biography Author Biography.com Editors Website Name The Biography.com website URL https://www.biography.com/scholar/john-locke Access Date July 17, 2021 Publisher A&E Television Networks Last Updated March 26, 2021 Original Published Date April 2, 2014 John Locke First published Sun Sep 2, 2001; substantive revision Tue May 1, 2018 John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704) was a British philosopher, Oxford academic and medical researcher. Locke’s monumental An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) is one of the first great defenses of modern empiricism and concerns itself with determining the limits of human understanding in respect to a wide spectrum of topics. It thus tells us in some detail what one can legitimately claim to know and what one cannot. Locke’s association with Anthony Ashley Cooper (later the First Earl of Shaftesbury) led him to become successively a government official charged with collecting information about trade and colonies, economic writer, opposition political activist, and finally a revolutionary whose cause ultimately triumphed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Among Locke’s political works he is most famous for The Second Treatise of Government in which he argues that sovereignty resides in the people and explains the nature of legitimate government in terms of natural rights and the social contract. He is also famous for calling for the separation of Church and State in his Letter Concerning Toleration. Much of Locke’s work is characterized by opposition to authoritarianism. This is apparent both on the level of the individual person and on the level of institutions such as government and church. For the individual, Locke wants each of us to use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition. He wants us to proportion assent to propositions to the evidence for them. On the level of institutions it becomes important to distinguish the legitimate from the illegitimate functions of institutions and to make the corresponding distinction for the uses of force by these institutions. Locke believes that using reason to try to grasp the truth, and determine the legitimate functions of institutions will optimize human flourishing for the individual and society both in respect to its material and spiritual welfare. This in turn, amounts to following natural law and the fulfillment of the divine purpose for humanity. • 1. Historical Background and Locke’s Life ◦ 1.1 Locke’s Life up to His Meeting with Lord Ashley in 1666 ◦ 1.2 Locke and Lord Shaftesbury 1666 to 1688 ◦ 1.3 The End of Locke’s Life 1689–1704 • 2. The Limits of Human Understanding ◦ 2.1 Book I ◦ 2.2 Book II ◦ 2.3 Book III ◦ 2.4 Book IV ◦ 2.5 Knowledge and Probability ◦ 2.6 Reason, Faith and Enthusiasm • 3. Locke’s Major Works on Education • 4. The Two Treatises Of Government ◦ 4.1 The Second Treatise of Government ◦ 4.2 Human Nature and God’s Purposes ◦ 4.3 The Social Contract Theory ◦ 4.4 The Function Of Civil Government ◦ 4.5 Rebellion and Regicide • 5. Locke and Religious Toleration • Bibliography ◦ Primary Sources ◦ Secondary Sources • Academic Tools • Other Internet Resources • Related Entries 1. Historical Background and Locke’s Life John Locke (1632–1704) was one of the greatest philosophers in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century. Locke grew up and lived through one of the most extraordinary centuries of English political and intellectual history. It was a century in which conflicts between Crown and Parliament and the overlapping conflicts between Protestants, Anglicans and Catholics swirled into civil war in the 1640s. With the defeat and death of Charles I, there began a great experiment in governmental institutions including the abolishment of the monarchy, the House of Lords and the Anglican church, and the establishment of Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate in the 1650s. The collapse of the Protectorate after the death of Cromwell was followed by the Restoration of Charles II—the return of the monarchy, the House of Lords and the Anglican Church. This period lasted from 1660 to 1688. It was marked by continued conflicts between King and Parliament and debates over religious toleration for Protestant dissenters and Catholics. This period ends with the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which James II was driven from England and replaced by William of Orange and his wife Mary. The final period during which Locke lived involved the consolidation of power by William and Mary, and the beginning of William’s efforts to oppose the domination of Europe by the France of Louis XIV, which later culminated in the military victories of John Churchill—the Duke of Marlborough. 1.1 Locke’s Life up to His Meeting with Lord Ashley in 1666 Locke was born in Wrington to Puritan parents of modest means. His father was a country lawyer who served in a cavalry company on the Puritan side in the early stages of the English Civil War. His father’s commander, Alexander Popham, became the local MP, and it was his patronage which allowed the young John Locke to gain an excellent education. In 1647 Locke went to Westminster School in London. From Westminster school he went to Christ Church, Oxford, in the autumn of 1652 at the age of twenty. As Westminster school was the most important English school, so Christ Church was the most important Oxford college. Education at Oxford was medieval. Locke, like Hobbes before him, found the Aristotelian philosophy he was taught at Oxford of little use. There was, however, more at Oxford than Aristotle. The new experimental philosophy had arrived. John Wilkins, Cromwell’s brother in law, had become Warden of Wadham College. The group around Wilkins was the nucleus of what was to become the English Royal Society. The Society grew out of informal meetings and discussion groups and moved to London after the Restoration and became a formal institution in the 1660s with charters from Charles II. The Society saw its aims in contrast with the Scholastic/Aristotelian traditions that dominated the universities. The program was to study nature rather than books.[1] Many of Wilkins associates were people interested in pursuing medicine by observation rather than the reading of classic texts. Bacon’s interest in careful experimentation and the systematic collection of facts from which generalizations could be made was characteristic of this group. One of Locke’s friends from Westminster school, Richard Lower, introduced Locke to medicine and the experimental philosophy being pursued by the virtuosi at Wadham. UPDATED:SEP 20, 2019ORIGINAL:NOV 9, 2009 John Locke John Locke’s Early Life and Education John Locke and the Earl of Shaftesbury John Locke’s Publications  John Locke’s Views on Government John Locke’s Death The English philosopher and political theorist John Locke (1632-1704) laid much of the groundwork for the Enlightenment and made central contributions to the development of liberalism. Trained in medicine, he was a key advocate of the empirical approaches of the Scientific Revolution. In his “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” he advanced a theory of the self as a blank page, with knowledge and identity arising only from accumulated experience. His political theory of government by the consent of the governed as a means to protect the three natural rights of “life, liberty and estate” deeply influenced the United States’ founding documents. His essays on religious tolerance provided an early model for the separation of church and state. John Locke’s Early Life and Education John Locke was born in 1632 in Wrighton, Somerset. His father was a lawyer and small landowner who had fought on the Parliamentarian side during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s. Using his wartime connections, he placed his son in the elite Westminster School. Did you know? John Locke’s closest female friend was the philosopher Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham. Before she married the two had exchanged love poems, and on his return from exile, Locke moved into Lady Damaris and her husband’s household. Between 1652 and 1667, John Locke was a student and then lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, where he focused on the standard curriculum of logic, metaphysics and classics. He also studied medicine extensively and was an associate of Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle and other leading Oxford scientists. John Locke and the Earl of Shaftesbury In 1666 Locke met the parliamentarian Anthony Ashley Cooper, later the first Earl of Shaftesbury. The two struck up a friendship that blossomed into full patronage, and a year later Locke was appointed physician to Shaftesbury’s household. That year he supervised a dangerous liver operation on Shaftesbury that likely saved his patron’s life. For the next two decades, Locke’s fortunes were tied to Shaftesbury, who was first a leading minister to Charles II and then a founder of the opposing Whig Party. Shaftesbury led the 1679 “exclusion” campaign to bar the Catholic duke of York (the future James II) from the royal succession. When that failed, Shaftesbury began to plot armed resistance and was forced to flee to Holland in 1682. Locke would follow his patron into exile a year later, returning only after the Glorious Revolution had placed the Protestant William III on the throne. John Locke’s Publications  During his decades of service to Shaftesbury, John Locke had been writing. In the six years following his return to England he published all of his most significant works. Locke’s “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1689) outlined a theory of human knowledge, identity and selfhood that would be hugely influential to Enlightenment thinkers. To Locke, knowledge was not the discovery of anything either innate or outside of the individual, but simply the accumulation of “facts” derived from sensory experience. To discover truths beyond the realm of basic experience, Locke suggested an approach modeled on the rigorous methods of experimental science, and this approach greatly impacted the Scientific Revolution. John Locke’s Views on Government The “Two Treatises of Government” (1690) offered political theories developed and refined by Locke during his years at Shaftesbury’s side. Rejecting the divine right of kings, Locke said that societies form governments by mutual (and, in later generations, tacit) agreement. Thus, when a king loses the consent of the governed, a society may remove him—an approach quoted almost verbatim in Thomas Jefferson's 1776 Declaration of Independence. Locke also developed a definition of property as the product of a person’s labor that would be foundational for both Adam Smith’s capitalism and Karl Marx’s socialism. Locke famously wrote that man has three natural rights: life, liberty and property. In his “Thoughts Concerning Education” (1693), Locke argued for a broadened syllabus and better treatment of students—ideas that were an enormous influence on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s novel “Emile” (1762). In three “Letters Concerning Toleration” (1689-92), Locke suggested that governments should respect freedom of religion except when the dissenting belief was a threat to public order. Atheists (whose oaths could not be trusted) and Catholics (who owed allegiance to an external ruler) were thus excluded from his scheme. Even within its limitations, Locke’s toleration did not argue that all (Protestant) beliefs were equally good or true, but simply that governments were not in a position to decide which one was correct. John Locke’s Death Locke spent his final 14 years in Essex at the home of Sir Francis Masham and his wife, the philosopher Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham. He died there on October 24, 1704, as Lady Damaris read to him from the Psalms.  [1, 2]
  HIST	This Month in S.C. History: July 21, 1669, 1st draft of the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina is completed John Locke, secretary to Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, who many thought authored the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Posted Wednesday, July 14, 2021 6:00 am BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY The South Carolina Encyclopedia describes the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina as "part constitution and part promotional tract." Although the first draft, also known as the "Grand Model," is in John Locke's handwriting, many scholars think that it was the combined work of the eight lords proprietors. Because Locke was secretary to the chief proprietor of Carolina, Anthony Ashley Cooper, he is sometimes credited with authoring much of the constitution. It outlined a society based on hereditary property and religious toleration, overseen by the lords proprietors and creating a nobility of men called landgraves. In the original draft, it was not legal to sell or purchase land, and all who settled in Carolina were required to pledge their support for the constitution and their allegiance to the proprietors. This first draft was shipped to Port Royal in the fall of 1669 and another copy was sent to the settlement at Albemarle, on the West Ashley River, and arrived in early 1670. Along with the constitution, the lords proprietors appointed new deputies in Albemarle and gave them instructions to implement the "Grand Model." Settlers in Albemarle and in Charles Town objected to several of the stipulations in the document. While the feudal-type society established under the Fundamental Constitutions was not at all progressive, the document did include some forward-thinking stipulations. The mere fact that the colony had a written constitution was innovative as was the policy of religious freedom. Over time, it was apparent that the landed hierarchy required by the constitution was too complex to implement and required a far greater population than the one that materialized. The Fundamental Constitutions was never officially adopted and was viewed by many settlers as unrealistic. Four other versions of the Fundamental Constitutions were drafted between 1669 and 1698. Gradually, more political power was given to the colonists, and the 1670 draft was altered to entice settlement. It allowed any church to be established by any seven people, except Catholics, and this encouraged the immigration of Huguenots, Baptists and Congregationalists. The last edition of the document was issued in 1698 and was much shorter than the original. It removed most of the focus on an established aristocracy. The colonial Commons House of Assembly debated the final version for several years. It was tabled in 1706 and never considered again. QUICK FACTS NAME John Locke BIRTH DATE August 29, 1632 DEATH DATE October 28, 1704 EDUCATION University of Oxford, Westminster School PLACE OF BIRTH Wrington, United Kingdom PLACE OF DEATH Essex, United Kingdom WHO WAS JOHN LOCKE? EARLY LIFE WRITINGS AND BELIEFS LATER YEARS AND IMPACT CITE THIS PAGE QUOTES “Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.” —John Locke John Locke Biography (1632–1704) UPDATED:JUN 12, 2020ORIGINAL:APR 2, 2014 English philosopher John Locke's works lie at the foundation of modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. Who Was John Locke? John Locke went to Westminster School and then Christ Church, University of Oxford. At Oxford, he studied medicine, which would play a central role in his life. He became a highly influential philosopher, writing about such topics as political philosophy, epistemology, and education. Locke's writings helped found modern Western philosophy. Early Life Influential philosopher and physician John Locke, whose writings had a significant impact on Western philosophy, was born on August 29, 1632, in Wrington, a village in the English county of Somerset. His father was a country lawyer and military man who had served as a captain during the English civil war. Both his parents were Puritans and as such, Locke was raised that way. Because of his father's connections and allegiance to the English government, Locke received an outstanding education. Education In 1647 he enrolled at Westminster School in London, where Locke earned the distinct honor of being named a King's Scholar, a privilege that went to only select number of boys and paved the way for Locke to attend Christ Church, Oxford in 1652. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: NexGard® is for use in dogs only. The most frequently reported adverse reactions include vomiting, itching, lethargy, diarrhea, and lack of appetite. The safe use of NexGard® in pregnant, breeding, or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. For more information, click here for full prescribing information. 1-2. Data on file at Boehringer Ingelheim. NexGard® is a registered trademark and FRONTLINE VET LABS™ is a trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. ©2020 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-PET-0921-2020-T At Christ Church, perhaps Oxford's most prestigious school, Locke immersed himself in logic and metaphysics, as well as the classical languages. After graduating in 1656, he returned to Christ Church two years later for a Master of Arts, which led in just a few short years to Locke taking on tutorial work at the college. In 1668 Locke was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He graduated with a bachelor's of medicine in 1674. Early in his medical studies, Locke met Lord Ashley, who was to become Earl of Shaftsbury. The two grew close and Shaftsbury eventually persuaded Locke to move to London and become his personal physician. As Shaftsbury's stature grew, so did Locke's responsibilities. He assisted in his business and political matters, and after Shaftsbury was made chancellor, Locke became his secretary of presentations. Writings and Beliefs Shaftsbury's influence on Locke's professional career and his political thoughts cannot be understated. As one of the founders of the Whig party, which pushed for constitutional monarchism and stood in opposition to the dominant Tories, Shaftsbury imparted an outlook on rule and government that never left Locke. In Locke's landmark, Two Treatises of Government put forth his revolutionary ideas concerning the natural rights of man and the social contract. Both concepts not only stirred waves in England but also impacted the intellectual underpinnings that formed the later American and French revolutions. As England fell under a cloud of possible revolution, Locke became a target of the government. While historical research has pointed to his lack of involvement in the incident, Locke was forced to leave in England in 1683 due to a failed assassination attempt of King Charles II and his brother, or what later came to be known as the Rye House Plot. Exiled in Holland, Locke composed "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," another groundbreaking work of intellectual might that spanned four books and took on the task of examining the nature of human knowledge. Just like his Two Treatises, the Essay was published after Locke's return to England in 1688. His arrival back in his homeland had come in the aftermath of the dramatic departure of King James II, who'd fled the country, allowing the Whigs to rise to power. Later called the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the event forever changed English government, moving the balance of power from the throne to Parliament. It also set Locke up to be a hero to many in his native country. Later Years and Impact In addition to his Essay and Two Treatises, Locke's return to England also saw him publish additional work, including A Letter Concerning Toleration, The Reasonableness of Christianity and Some Thoughts Concerning Education. A hero to the Whig party, Locke remained connected to governmental affairs in his advanced years. He helped steer the resurrection of the Board of Trade, which oversaw England's new territories in North America. Locke served as one of the body's key members. Long afflicted with delicate health, Locke died on October 28, 1704, in Essex, where he'd resided over the last decade of his life. Years after his death we are still gauging his impact on Western thought. His theories concerning the separation of Church and State, religious freedom, and liberty, not only influenced European thinkers such as the French Enlightenment writer, Voltaire but shaped the thinking of America's founders, from Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Jefferson. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Citation Information Article Title John Locke Biography Author Biography.com Editors Website Name The Biography.com website URL https://www.biography.com/scholar/john-locke Access Date July 17, 2021 Publisher A&E Television Networks Last Updated March 26, 2021 Original Published Date April 2, 2014 John Locke First published Sun Sep 2, 2001; substantive revision Tue May 1, 2018 John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704) was a British philosopher, Oxford academic and medical researcher. Locke’s monumental An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) is one of the first great defenses of modern empiricism and concerns itself with determining the limits of human understanding in respect to a wide spectrum of topics. It thus tells us in some detail what one can legitimately claim to know and what one cannot. Locke’s association with Anthony Ashley Cooper (later the First Earl of Shaftesbury) led him to become successively a government official charged with collecting information about trade and colonies, economic writer, opposition political activist, and finally a revolutionary whose cause ultimately triumphed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Among Locke’s political works he is most famous for The Second Treatise of Government in which he argues that sovereignty resides in the people and explains the nature of legitimate government in terms of natural rights and the social contract. He is also famous for calling for the separation of Church and State in his Letter Concerning Toleration. Much of Locke’s work is characterized by opposition to authoritarianism. This is apparent both on the level of the individual person and on the level of institutions such as government and church. For the individual, Locke wants each of us to use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition. He wants us to proportion assent to propositions to the evidence for them. On the level of institutions it becomes important to distinguish the legitimate from the illegitimate functions of institutions and to make the corresponding distinction for the uses of force by these institutions. Locke believes that using reason to try to grasp the truth, and determine the legitimate functions of institutions will optimize human flourishing for the individual and society both in respect to its material and spiritual welfare. This in turn, amounts to following natural law and the fulfillment of the divine purpose for humanity. • 1. Historical Background and Locke’s Life ◦ 1.1 Locke’s Life up to His Meeting with Lord Ashley in 1666 ◦ 1.2 Locke and Lord Shaftesbury 1666 to 1688 ◦ 1.3 The End of Locke’s Life 1689–1704 • 2. The Limits of Human Understanding ◦ 2.1 Book I ◦ 2.2 Book II ◦ 2.3 Book III ◦ 2.4 Book IV ◦ 2.5 Knowledge and Probability ◦ 2.6 Reason, Faith and Enthusiasm • 3. Locke’s Major Works on Education • 4. The Two Treatises Of Government ◦ 4.1 The Second Treatise of Government ◦ 4.2 Human Nature and God’s Purposes ◦ 4.3 The Social Contract Theory ◦ 4.4 The Function Of Civil Government ◦ 4.5 Rebellion and Regicide • 5. Locke and Religious Toleration • Bibliography ◦ Primary Sources ◦ Secondary Sources • Academic Tools • Other Internet Resources • Related Entries 1. Historical Background and Locke’s Life John Locke (1632–1704) was one of the greatest philosophers in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century. Locke grew up and lived through one of the most extraordinary centuries of English political and intellectual history. It was a century in which conflicts between Crown and Parliament and the overlapping conflicts between Protestants, Anglicans and Catholics swirled into civil war in the 1640s. With the defeat and death of Charles I, there began a great experiment in governmental institutions including the abolishment of the monarchy, the House of Lords and the Anglican church, and the establishment of Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate in the 1650s. The collapse of the Protectorate after the death of Cromwell was followed by the Restoration of Charles II—the return of the monarchy, the House of Lords and the Anglican Church. This period lasted from 1660 to 1688. It was marked by continued conflicts between King and Parliament and debates over religious toleration for Protestant dissenters and Catholics. This period ends with the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which James II was driven from England and replaced by William of Orange and his wife Mary. The final period during which Locke lived involved the consolidation of power by William and Mary, and the beginning of William’s efforts to oppose the domination of Europe by the France of Louis XIV, which later culminated in the military victories of John Churchill—the Duke of Marlborough. 1.1 Locke’s Life up to His Meeting with Lord Ashley in 1666 Locke was born in Wrington to Puritan parents of modest means. His father was a country lawyer who served in a cavalry company on the Puritan side in the early stages of the English Civil War. His father’s commander, Alexander Popham, became the local MP, and it was his patronage which allowed the young John Locke to gain an excellent education. In 1647 Locke went to Westminster School in London. From Westminster school he went to Christ Church, Oxford, in the autumn of 1652 at the age of twenty. As Westminster school was the most important English school, so Christ Church was the most important Oxford college. Education at Oxford was medieval. Locke, like Hobbes before him, found the Aristotelian philosophy he was taught at Oxford of little use. There was, however, more at Oxford than Aristotle. The new experimental philosophy had arrived. John Wilkins, Cromwell’s brother in law, had become Warden of Wadham College. The group around Wilkins was the nucleus of what was to become the English Royal Society. The Society grew out of informal meetings and discussion groups and moved to London after the Restoration and became a formal institution in the 1660s with charters from Charles II. The Society saw its aims in contrast with the Scholastic/Aristotelian traditions that dominated the universities. The program was to study nature rather than books.[1] Many of Wilkins associates were people interested in pursuing medicine by observation rather than the reading of classic texts. Bacon’s interest in careful experimentation and the systematic collection of facts from which generalizations could be made was characteristic of this group. One of Locke’s friends from Westminster school, Richard Lower, introduced Locke to medicine and the experimental philosophy being pursued by the virtuosi at Wadham. UPDATED:SEP 20, 2019ORIGINAL:NOV 9, 2009 John Locke John Locke’s Early Life and Education John Locke and the Earl of Shaftesbury John Locke’s Publications  John Locke’s Views on Government John Locke’s Death The English philosopher and political theorist John Locke (1632-1704) laid much of the groundwork for the Enlightenment and made central contributions to the development of liberalism. Trained in medicine, he was a key advocate of the empirical approaches of the Scientific Revolution. In his “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” he advanced a theory of the self as a blank page, with knowledge and identity arising only from accumulated experience. His political theory of government by the consent of the governed as a means to protect the three natural rights of “life, liberty and estate” deeply influenced the United States’ founding documents. His essays on religious tolerance provided an early model for the separation of church and state. John Locke’s Early Life and Education John Locke was born in 1632 in Wrighton, Somerset. His father was a lawyer and small landowner who had fought on the Parliamentarian side during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s. Using his wartime connections, he placed his son in the elite Westminster School. Did you know? John Locke’s closest female friend was the philosopher Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham. Before she married the two had exchanged love poems, and on his return from exile, Locke moved into Lady Damaris and her husband’s household. Between 1652 and 1667, John Locke was a student and then lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, where he focused on the standard curriculum of logic, metaphysics and classics. He also studied medicine extensively and was an associate of Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle and other leading Oxford scientists. John Locke and the Earl of Shaftesbury In 1666 Locke met the parliamentarian Anthony Ashley Cooper, later the first Earl of Shaftesbury. The two struck up a friendship that blossomed into full patronage, and a year later Locke was appointed physician to Shaftesbury’s household. That year he supervised a dangerous liver operation on Shaftesbury that likely saved his patron’s life. For the next two decades, Locke’s fortunes were tied to Shaftesbury, who was first a leading minister to Charles II and then a founder of the opposing Whig Party. Shaftesbury led the 1679 “exclusion” campaign to bar the Catholic duke of York (the future James II) from the royal succession. When that failed, Shaftesbury began to plot armed resistance and was forced to flee to Holland in 1682. Locke would follow his patron into exile a year later, returning only after the Glorious Revolution had placed the Protestant William III on the throne. John Locke’s Publications  During his decades of service to Shaftesbury, John Locke had been writing. In the six years following his return to England he published all of his most significant works. Locke’s “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1689) outlined a theory of human knowledge, identity and selfhood that would be hugely influential to Enlightenment thinkers. To Locke, knowledge was not the discovery of anything either innate or outside of the individual, but simply the accumulation of “facts” derived from sensory experience. To discover truths beyond the realm of basic experience, Locke suggested an approach modeled on the rigorous methods of experimental science, and this approach greatly impacted the Scientific Revolution. John Locke’s Views on Government The “Two Treatises of Government” (1690) offered political theories developed and refined by Locke during his years at Shaftesbury’s side. Rejecting the divine right of kings, Locke said that societies form governments by mutual (and, in later generations, tacit) agreement. Thus, when a king loses the consent of the governed, a society may remove him—an approach quoted almost verbatim in Thomas Jefferson's 1776 Declaration of Independence. Locke also developed a definition of property as the product of a person’s labor that would be foundational for both Adam Smith’s capitalism and Karl Marx’s socialism. Locke famously wrote that man has three natural rights: life, liberty and property. In his “Thoughts Concerning Education” (1693), Locke argued for a broadened syllabus and better treatment of students—ideas that were an enormous influence on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s novel “Emile” (1762). In three “Letters Concerning Toleration” (1689-92), Locke suggested that governments should respect freedom of religion except when the dissenting belief was a threat to public order. Atheists (whose oaths could not be trusted) and Catholics (who owed allegiance to an external ruler) were thus excluded from his scheme. Even within its limitations, Locke’s toleration did not argue that all (Protestant) beliefs were equally good or true, but simply that governments were not in a position to decide which one was correct. John Locke’s Death Locke spent his final 14 years in Essex at the home of Sir Francis Masham and his wife, the philosopher Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham. He died there on October 24, 1704, as Lady Damaris read to him from the Psalms.
  _UID	5DA4C4DD16594927AE8845E75803979D72EE
  _UID	5DA4C4DD16594927AE8845E75803979D72EE
  Death	28 Oct 1704	Essex, United Kingdom   [1]
  Person ID	I333783	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	17 Jul 2021

  
  

  Father	LOCKE
  _UID	109601672D544E58B3B60B2CCE5B7F8D0A73
  _UID	109601672D544E58B3B60B2CCE5B7F8D0A73
  Family ID	F222975	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

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  [S29034] . [S29035] This Month in S.C. HIstory.