Name: John Locke
Abstract: John Locke was an English Philosopher
who believed that people were good. He
influenced much of the US government. John
Locke accomplished many things in his life.
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Content
Childhood and Education
Marriage and family
Career/Beliefs
Legacy
References
Born: 1632
Died: 1704
Profession: Philosopher
Nationality: English
Childhood and Education
G-pedia
John Locke was born in Wrington, Somerset in 1632 (Nosotro). His father was a lawyer, and
both his mother and father died when he was very young (Nosotro). In 1646 he went to
Westminster School and he graduated in 1652 (Nosotro). He then attended Oxford University
to study Latin, logics, and metaphysics (Nosotro). He then tutored for three years in Greek
and rhetoric (Nosotro). He studied medicine and he was trying to become a doctor (Nosotro).
Many people influenced him to study philosophy. He never finished studying to become a
doctor. He started to work on books and written documents about his political and
philosophical beliefs (Philosophy Pages). He decided to continue writing books and essays to
express his beliefs.
Marriage and Family
G-pedia
John Locke’s mother was Agnes Locke and his father was John Locke. His mother died when
he was still a little baby. He had a younger brother named Thomas (Encyclopedia of World
Biography). His father, who was a lawyer, took care of Locke and his brother when their
mother died. His father also died when he was young (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
Locke never got married nor had any children. He did meet Damaris Cudworth and they did
have a relationship together (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). He died alone and as a
bachelor.
Career/Beliefs
G-pedia
Locke studied medicine for his first choice, and received his bachelors in 1674 (Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy). He was influenced by the philosophical ideas of Descartes,
Isaac Newton, and Anthony Ashley Cooper. He started writing many essays and books with
his philosophical ideas including An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and The Two
Treatises of Government (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). He had a positive look on
human nature, and he believed that people could learn from their mistakes. He believed that
humans had the ability to govern themselves(Gesualdo). He also believed that people had
three natural rights: the right to life, liberty, and property (Gesualdo). The government had a
contract with the people and the government should benefit (Gesualdo). The purpose of the
government was to protect the three rights (Gesualdo). If the government could not protect
these rights, then the people had the right to overthrow it (Gesualdo). His beliefs were very
important to the formation of the United States government.
Legacy
G-pedia
John Locke was a very influential man when it came to the formation of the United Stated
government. His ideas were used in the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
We are guaranteed the rights that are listed in the Bill of Rights. These rights cannot be taken
away from us without a just cause. So the right to life, liberty, and property are guaranteed to
us in the Bill of Rights, thanks to John Locke. These rights are also in the Declaration of
Independence. The Declaration of Independence is the document that is the foundation of our
country. It is where our founding fathers got us our independence from the English. John
Locke is a very influential man in our history. He will always be known for contributing to the
foundation of the United States government and history.
References
Nosotro, Rit. "Locke, John." HyperHistory.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b2lockej.htm>.
contrast. "Locke." Philosophy Pages. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/lock.htm>.
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motion, matter in. "John Locke (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/>.
"John Locke Biography - school, mother, book, information, born, college." Encyclopedia of World
Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/LockeJohn.html>.
" Locke, John [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d.
Web. 16 Jan. 2011. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/locke/>.
"John Locke > The Influence of John Locke's Works (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2011.
<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/influence.html>.
judges, some, and such as Justice Goldberg in his opinion in. "The Bill of Rights: Its
History and its Significance." UMKC School of Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/billofrightsintro.html>
.
"The Declaration of Independence." ushistory.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/>.