Free Essays on John Locke

John Locke, the English philosopher of the 1600’s main thesis was that men could rule themselves in an orderly and judicial way if given the opportunities. This philosophy portrays men who are created in God’s image as rational and fair, who will do justice according to a prescribed set of rules. This theory put the power of governing in the hands of those to be governed. Thomas Hobbe’s philosophy was starkly different for the main reason that he believed people were subjects and needed to be shown the difference between right and wrong and needed to be ruled instead of governed by their own elected officials. This theory discounts the innate goodness that Locke described to men, which was derived from God. Locke believed that people could be trusted to treat each other fairly while on the other hand; Hobbes believed people would destroy each other if given the correct circumstances. The philosophy in which I think would work better is that of John Locke. The reason is two fold. Firstly, I believe people have the ability to be rational and nonjudgmental when it comes to matters of judicial importance. One example is trial by a jury of your peers. This is a fundamental tenant of civilized society. The second reason is John Locke’s philosophy is better in the respect that people have faith in a government that is of their choosing as opposed to a government that is imposed on them. The people would be more willing to sacrifice for a government they choose than on that has been forced onto them.... Free Essays on John Locke Free Essays on John Locke John Locke John Locke 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. Locke was a great Philosopher and a social political theriost that argued that we people can only know ideas, sensations of our ideas, and quality. There are two types of qualities Locke argued primary and secondary. Locke also insisted that we are born into this world as tabla rasa, or blank sheet until experience in the form of sensation provide the basic materials of simple ideas out of which most of our more complex knowledge is constructed. We are all born with a clean slate and we go through life conceiving ideas, and making choices. Locke had taken some of his own ideas and pulled some from Rene’ Descates another brillant philosophers of this time. First Locke argued we as people can only know ideas. Locke describes innate ideas as some primary notions. Things that were stamped in the Mind of Man, which the Soul receives when a person is first convieved. Locke rejects the claim that we have innate ideas of God, identity or impossibility because if we did then all childern and idiots would be able to conceive them to. Locke argued that we had two types of ideas one was simple ideas created by our interaction with sensible qualities in things of the sensible world, and simple ideas developed out of our observations concerning the operations of our mind. Locke, although he made a number of remarks these two ideas, he did not explain how it was that sensations excite ideas in the mind. He only states that God produces in us the capacity for doing so. Another thing Locke argues is the fact that we could never know perfect or think of perfect with out some kind of perfect being put in our mind as an idea, which he borrowes f rom Descartes. So basically Locke did not agree with innate ideas, to m... Free Essays on John Locke To Whom It May Concern: My name is John Locke, the year is 1672, The Enlightenment Era if you will, my friend Anthony "Ashley" Cooper who has been known as the first Earl of Shaftesbury, a Lord of the realm was just appointed the Lord Chancellor and he has given me the opportunity to become very influential and serve as the secretary of a very powerful board. I have accepted this offer only because this was a payment for a medical service that I had provided for the Lord. I enjoy being called â€Å"Dr. Locke† which makes me wish that I would have finished my studies of medicine. I appreciate the concept of learning and although this is true I feel more comfortable being viewed as a philosopher writer rather than an educator. The period of time is very interesting, political fortunes shift in and out which has sent Shaftesbury to Tower many times. I don’t subscribe to the Divine Right Theory of the law so I am forced to eliminate myself from this situation by escaping these surroundings. I am leaving to learn abroad in France and Holland until the political foes are over or until they don’t affect me as much. Don’t get me wrong I defend the intention that government rests on popular consent and rebellion is permitted when government undermines the ends for which it is established, meaning that the protection of life, liberty, and property are the essential items that the government must provide and protect. Public welfare is what makes the government necessary; this belief is established in my book Two Treatises of Government. An important philosophy, worth mentioning, that I have come up with over the years is that in order to achieve the ends man gives up, in favor of the state, a certain amount of his personal power and freedom. This philosophy is something that I stand by. I also believe that man must provide for themselves a time for refreshment. A man’s production levels increase tremendously when they are given the opport... Free Essays on John Locke The idea of consent is a key element in the works of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In the â€Å"Second Treatise of Government,† Locke puts forth his conception of the ideal form of government based on a social contract. As Locke develops his theory of consent, he also incorporates theories of political obligation on the part of all citizens of his state as well as his theory of revolution and the conditions under which rebellion is permissible. Though Locke may appear to have explored the notion of consent completely, there are some problems with his theory that weaken its impact. (Kant vs. Locke on the Right to Rebel) John Locke powerfully details the benefits of consent as a principle element of government, guaranteed by a social contract. Locke believes in the establishment of a social compact among people of a society that is unique in its ability to eliminate the state of nature. Locke feels the contract must end the state of nature agreeably because in the state of nature â€Å"every one has executive power of the law of nature.† Therefore, Locke maintains that a government must be established with the consent of all that will â€Å"restrain the partiality and violence of men.† People must agree to remove themselves from the punishing and judging processes and create impartiality in a government so that the true equality of men can be preserved. (Groundwork of the metaphysic of morals.) The importance of freedom and security to man is the reason he gives consent to the government. He then protects himself from any one partial body from getting power over him. He can appeal to a higher authority in his community once the consent of the people sets up a judiciary. With consent to government, men still have the liberty to follow their own will in matters where the law does not dictate otherwise. Therefore, men do not have to suffer enslavement to political institutions. For Locke, this justifies consent to government an... Free Essays on John Locke In 1690, philosopher John Locke wrote a â€Å"very strange doctrine† (272), which was the first introduction of natural rights and the â€Å"Equality of Mankind† (143) He openly challenges the accepted beliefs â€Å"That all government is absolute monarchy (and) that no man is born free.† Locke breaks up his ideas into a few areas including the state of nature, the creation and purpose of government, the purpose of family, and the importance of property. Locke centers his strange doctrine on the concept that â€Å"We are born into freedom but not in freedom.† as a result of human nature. Locke asserts that â€Å"all men are naturally in †¦ a state of perfect freedom.† (269), which means that we are created equally free but never actually experience this equally free state. Nobody therefore maintains any natural power or influence over anyone else. With this freedom however, comes certain responsibilities and duties, which are discussed later in this paper in regard to the first society in which we live; the family. Locke concedes that it is human nature for an individual to push their own freedom at the expense of someone else. These people that place themselves above others are labeled as â€Å"criminals† by Locke. These individuals are not governed by the law of reason and the individuals that are negatively affected by the criminals can not possibly enforce the law of reason in an objective manner. This is why a neutral judge or â€Å"umpire† is needed to enforce the law of reason and equality between human beings. Locke then discusses the importance of property and how property alters human nature’s equal freedom. He argues that â€Å"property is his own person† (287 ) meaning that an individuals body is his first form of property. The individual can then mix their labor with land and the land then becomes an extension of that person, thus becoming their property. For example, let’s pretend that you grow apples. By putting... Free Essays on John Locke John Locke, the English philosopher of the 1600’s main thesis was that men could rule themselves in an orderly and judicial way if given the opportunities. This philosophy portrays men who are created in God’s image as rational and fair, who will do justice according to a prescribed set of rules. This theory put the power of governing in the hands of those to be governed. Thomas Hobbe’s philosophy was starkly different for the main reason that he believed people were subjects and needed to be shown the difference between right and wrong and needed to be ruled instead of governed by their own elected officials. This theory discounts the innate goodness that Locke described to men, which was derived from God. Locke believed that people could be trusted to treat each other fairly while on the other hand; Hobbes believed people would destroy each other if given the correct circumstances. The philosophy in which I think would work better is that of John Locke. The reason is two fold. Firstly, I believe people have the ability to be rational and nonjudgmental when it comes to matters of judicial importance. One example is trial by a jury of your peers. This is a fundamental tenant of civilized society. The second reason is John Locke’s philosophy is better in the respect that people have faith in a government that is of their choosing as opposed to a government that is imposed on them. The people would be more willing to sacrifice for a government they choose than on that has been forced onto them.... Free Essays on John Locke â€Å"No man should take away the life, liberty, or property of another,† those were the most famous words of the illustrious English philosopher, John Locke. The year was 1689, and John Locke had already published one of the greatest essays ever to be written on government called An Essay Concerning Human Understand. This eminent document may truly have been the basis of the United States government. He wrote two treatises during this period of time, calling his masterpieces, John Locke’s First Treatise of Civil Government and John Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government. These illustrious documents contained the world renowned â€Å"natural rights,† which were defined in five general statements. The statements consisted of, all men are created equal, everyone that is living is born with natural rights, governments are conceived through the consent of the governed, the real purpose of government is to protect these rights, and finally if the government fails to protect these rights, they can be eradicated or altered. As those ideas reached every corner of the world, the idea of government was forever altered. John Locke received immense popularity as these ideas circulated because of the social impacts they caused. The citizens of the colonies, or more commonly known as the social class were very much in favor of putting these innovative ideas into action. John Locke’s â€Å"natural rights† stated many guaranteed freedoms in various subjects for which the colonists longed for. During this time many people took advantage of the law, but Locke envisioned the citizens of the colonies instituting laws in which both the prosperous and the poor follow. One of Locke’s final views surrounded the issue of taxing; he believed property taxes cannot be inflated without the consent of the public. A major factor that was greatly regarded was the supreme power cannot take away land from any citizen without there concurrence. L...