Locke-ing Down American Philosophy by Georgia Salvino

Locke's Political Philosophies

1639921 — 2019-09-29 16:30:13 UTC

John Locke is said to be one of "the most influential philosphers of the modern age". He believed man had rights outside of any laws created, and that a governing body should be built on a "social contract", meaning that society loses some individual freedoms in return for legal protection. Many of his ideas defend the natural laws and rights of man, such as life, liberty, and property (sound familiar?).

Tuckness, Alex, "Locke's Political Philosophy", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .

Locke's Overarching Idea

1639921 — 2019-09-30 02:51:17 UTC

Locke saw the most important function of the government being to serve the people, not by controlling or limiting their natural rights, as referenced before. He believed that instead of limiting the people, the government should be limited instead, existing in a representative form. Locke was also in favor of having the people revolt to get the government they desired, instead of existing under an unjust one.

https://sites.google.com/site/lockevshobbeswhowillwin/home/who-was-john-locke

Influence in Politics

1639921 — 2019-09-30 03:01:06 UTC

Locke's influence in philosophy and politics grew more after his death, spreading to parties like the British Whig's in the United Kingdom, and to the Age of Enlightenment. His writings and ideals also gave way to the seperation of church and state in the Constitution, and helped fuel human rights as time went on. This is where his philsophic ideas contradict those of some philosphers; as time goes on, their beliefs become outdated or seen as untrue. With Locke, his theories continue to hold weight because of their simplistic truth.
https://www.iep.utm.edu/locke-po/

Second Treatise of Government

1639921 — 2019-09-30 03:25:02 UTC

In the Two Treatises of Government, Locke puts much of his fundamental argument in the Second Treatise. He opens by define a political power, and goes on to then use the morality of this definition to dictate the state of nature and the social contract. The state of nature is when humans are completely free from all bindings, save for the laws of nature. Then the social contract binds even further by enforcing an agreement between "the ruled and the rulers, defining the rights and duties of each".

https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Locke/Two-Treatises-of-Government#ref280604
https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-contract

Locke's Impact on the United States

1639921 — 2019-09-30 03:25:10 UTC

John Locke can be quoted as "the single most important influence that shaped the founding of the United States". His views redefined much of what was seen as the right way to run a government; his Second Treatise laid the groundwork for what a "legitimate" government would be. These redefining ideas became one of the strongest influences for Thomas Jefferson when writing the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.ushistory.org/gov/2.asp