John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher, one of the most important philosophers of empiricism . He exercised great influence over several philosophers of his time, including George Berkeley and David Hume.
His French disciple, Etienne Condilac, used his empirical theory to criticize metaphysics in the following century.
As a representative of liberal individualism , he defended the constitutional and representative monarchy, which was the form of government established in England after the Revolution of 1688.
Locke Biography
John Locke was born in Wrington, Somerset, England, on August 29, 1632. He was the son of a small landowner, who served as a cavalry captain.
He studied Philosophy, Medicine and Natural Science at Oxford University, where he later taught philosophy, rhetoric and Greek. He studied the works of Francis Bacon and René Descartes.
In 1683, Locke moved to Holland, and only returned to England in 1688, after the restoration of Protestantism and the rise to the throne of William, Prince of Orange.
In 1695, he was appointed a member of Parliament, remaining in office until 1700. John Locke died in Harlow, England, on October 28, 1704.
John Locke’s Philosophy
One of the greatest British empiricists, Locke claimed that knowledge came from experience, both from external sources, in sensations, and from internal sources, through reflections.
He explained that before we perceive anything, the mind is like a blank sheet of paper, but after we start to perceive everything around it, “simple sensory ideas” arise.
These sensations are worked on by thought, knowledge, belief and doubt, resulting in what Locke called “reflection”. The mind is not a mere passive receiver. It classifies and processes all sensations as it forms our knowledge and personality.
See also: Empiricism
Politics according to John Locke
Locke defended intellectual freedom and tolerance. It was a precursor to many liberal ideas, which only flourished during the French Enlightenment in the 17th century. Locke criticized the theory of divine right of kings, formulated by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes .
For Locke, sovereignty does not lie in the state, but in the population. He stated that, to ensure a rule of law, the representatives of the people must enact the laws and the king or the government enforce them.
He was the first to present the principle of the division of the three powers , according to which the power of the state is divided between different institutions.The Legislative Power , or Parliament, the Judiciary Power , or the Court, and the Executive Power , or the Government.
John Locke’s Works
- Letters about tolerance (1689)
- Two treaties on the government (1689)
- Teaching about human understanding (1690)
- Thoughts about education (1693)