John Locke

Background:

  • had a Puritan father

  • patron - Earl of Shaftesbury - fled to Holland in 1675 and returned in 1688

  • ideas published after the Glorious Revolution, but were written before

  • claims to be interested in empiricism (scientific observation)

Two Treaties of Government (1689)

  • likely drafted during the exclusion crisis

  • rejects the notion of divine right monarchy

  • argued men were born free and all were equal in the eyes of God

  • people enter into a contract with government - govt. has responsibility to ‘preserve the public good’ - citizens could destroy it if government failed to protect basic rights of life, liberty and property

Iwmportance of property

  • ‘empirical’ understanding

  • earth is given to man by God

  • application of ‘labour’ gave man a right to property

  • protection of property fundamental to society and a responsibility of government