John Locke Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

Known as the founder of modern liberalism, political philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) was born in Somerset, England. His greatest contributions were in the fields of political philosophy, as articulated in the initially anonymous work The Two Treatises of Government and in epistemology as presented in Essay Concerning Human Understanding, both published in 1690. In response to the tumultuous nature of British politics of the period, Locke rejected the theory of divine right and offered a radical reevaluation of the individual’s role in governance. He contended that rational individuals have a Godgiven right to initiate a contract of governance and retain the right to rebel if the government ceases to honor the terms of the contract.

In Two Treatises, Locke rejects English political theorist Robert Filmer’s philosophy of divine right and patriarchy. Locke believed that each individual owns the result of his labor. This notion, radical for its time, was embraced by Enlightenment theorists and is inherent in the development of classical liberalism and modern political thought.

Although Locke’s ideas in Two Treatises were not initially popular in Europe, they were instrumental in the formation of American political thought. His theories of natural rights were written into the Declaration of Independence in 1776 by statesman Thomas Jefferson, who identified them as the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Locke continued to be a major influence on American democracy when the U.S. Constitution was written in 1787.

Locke’s Essays on the Laws of Nature was published in 1663, the year before he was named as Censor of Moral Philosophy at Oxford University. In 1664 Locke enrolled in medical school at Oxford. Before receiving his degree, he accepted the position of medical advisor to Lord Ashley, the future Earl of Shaftesbury. Locke’s connection with Ashley continued for eight years and was responsible for his appointment to several minor political positions. The relationship also placed Locke in the company of leading English radicals. Locke was exposed to other innovative thinkers when he spent three years in France after completing his medical degree in 1674. He returned to England in 1681 but was forced to follow Ashley, who was accused of conspiring against King Charles II’s brother, to the Netherlands to escape arrest. Locke’s reputation was restored in 1686 and he returned to England.

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, considered by many scholars to be Locke’s most significant work, proved to be a watershed in English philosophy and launched the school of British empiricism. Locke used this work to express his support for King William, who had succeeded to the English throne with his wife Mary after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

William and Mary introduced religious toleration in England, a notion heartily endorsed by Locke. In order to avoid expected controversy, Locke’s Letter Concerning Toleration was published anonymously in 1689. A Second Letter Concerning Toleration was released in 1690, followed by a third in 1692. The letters expanded on Locke’s support for the right of individuals to choose how they worshiped. Locke continued his examination of religion in On the Reasonableness of Christianity and A Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity, both published in 1695.

Locke’s interest in a wide range of disciplines was evident by some of his other works, including Some Considerations of the Consequences of the Lowering of Interest (1691), The Raising of the Value of Money (1692), and Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693). During the year before his death in 1704, Locke worked on Some Thoughts Concerning Reading and Study for a Gentleman. After his death, Paraphrases on the Epistles of St. Paul (1705) and Fourth Letter Concerning Toleration (1706) were published.

Bibliography:

Bartolomeo, Joseph, ed. John Locke Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1999.
Harrison, Ross. Hobbes, Locke, and Confusion’s Masterpiece: An Examination of Seventeenth Century Political Philosophy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Josephenson, Peter. The Great Art of Government: Locke’s Use of Consent. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2002.
Waldron, Jeremy. God, Locke, and Equality: Christian Foundation of John Locke’s Political Thought. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Zuckert, Michael. Launching Liberalism: On Lockean Political Philosophy. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2002.

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