John Locke was a 17th-century English philosopher and political thinker who helped shape modern liberalism, empiricism, and ideas about natural rights. He is best known for arguing that people have rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments exist to protect those rights.

Quick Scoop

  • He wrote An Essay Concerning Human Understanding , where he argued that the mind begins as a blank slate and that experience shapes knowledge.
  • He wrote Two Treatises of Government , which defended limited government and the idea that rulers can be replaced if they fail to protect people’s rights.
  • He also argued for religious toleration , saying faith should not be forced by the state.
  • His ideas influenced the Enlightenment , modern democracy, and later political thought in the United States.

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