Jason Beneducci, James Petriello and Jack Sudnikovich

• Born on August 29, 1632 in
Wrington, Somerset, England to the parents of Agnes Keene and
John Locke the elder
•
Father was a lawyer in the town of Pensford and also served as a captain of the Calvary of the
Parliamentarians
•
During his infancy his mother died
• Locke began to reject the king’s right to divine rule at the age of
10

•
Attended Westminster
School
• He then went to Christ’s
Church Oxford and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in medicine
•
After collaborating with the famous scientist Robert
Boyle, medicine played a major role in his life

•
He moved to London and became the personal physician of Lord Ashley
•
Assisted him in political and commercial affairs as well as business
•
Obtained a government role from Lord Ashley
(the new Earl of Strasburg

•
Essay Concerning Human Understanding
-Outlined his views of the human mind and served as one of the principal sources of the empiricism philosophy
•
A Letter Concerning Toleration
- Discusses Locke’s ideas on religious toleration
•
Two Treatises of Government (1690)
- Everyone is equally created
- People own their own body

•
Humans could govern themselves
•
Felt that a centralized government was necessary
-Main duty is to protect the natural rights of the citizens
-Citizens able to overthrow a tyrannical rule
•
Religious toleration
•
Believed that humans were generally good however they are born with “tabula rasa” or a blank slate
-The environment in which one lives influences whether a person is good or bad it is undecided before birth

•
Guided by his deep Christian beliefs
- Accepted the existence of God and believed that all the humans on Earth are his servants

•
Instituted by the consent of those being governed
•
Government should protect the natural rights of citizens
•
Legislative body should be central
–
Create laws that are enforced
“for the common good”
• Government should be founded upon a social contract
–
Majority rules, and equality should be spread (Democracy forming)
•
Power separated between legislative, executive, and judicial branch

•
Popularized the idea of natural rights
-All people are born with the rights of life, liberty and property
•
Promoted religious freedom for all
A Letter Concerning Toleration
•
Social Contract
- Argued that the people should form a “neutral judge” to protect the natural rights

•
•
•
Theory of natural rights-
- If the government does not protect the natural rights of the people it can be overthrown
• Government Rules for the “common good”
-Britain was using the colonies as a source of income
•
Tabula Rasa
-People are born with a blank slate and anyone could become anything