John Locke, 1632-1704

What essay did Locke write in 1690?

Essay Concerning Human Understanding

Give 4 details of Locke’s background:

• Puritan father fought for parliament during the Civil War

• Studied medicine at Oxford, learnt about ancient philosophy

• Served Earl of Shaftesbury, founder of the Whig movement and England’s Lord Chancellor

• 1688, returned to England at the Glorious Revolution accompanying Queen Mary

What had his political theories been applied to?

Glorious Revolution, 1688-89, e.g. through the Treatises of Government (1689)

List the focus of his four books:

• Humans are born without knowledge, filled through experience alone, no innate ideas at birth

• Knowledge can only come from experience

• Human use of categorisation in language

• Questions whether knowledge can every be entirely truthful, each person’s knowledge is unique and have own perspective

Was Locke a materialist?

Materialist, made no allowances for the supernatural

What was he a strong believer in?

Empiricism

What did he believe about spirits?

Believed in primary qualities of an object being objective and accepted by all, hence spirits cannot be proved as only have secondary qualities

What did Locke surprisingly believe in?

Astrology, e.g. used to determine which medicinal herbs could be used at different times of the year

Why did some consider his ideas heretical?

Denial of innate ideas suggested that man rather than God was responsible for learning

How were Locke’s ideas similar to Hobbes?

Both philosophers emphasized the importance of experience and observation in forming knowledge, rejecting innate ideas. They also shared views on the social contract and the nature of government.

How were Locke’s ideas different to Hobbes?

While Hobbes believed in a strong, centralized authority to prevent chaos, Locke advocated for a government that derived its power from the consent of the governed and emphasized individual rights and limited government.