John Locke (1632-1704)
The British philosopher John Locke was
especially known for his ideologies in which
he believed people had a right to rule
themselves. He also was an advocate for
religious toleration.
Locke was born on the 29 August 1632, in a small
cottage by the church in Somerset England. He
was baptized the same day. Locke's father, also
called John, was a lawyer and a clerk to the
Justices of the Peace. His Mother was Agnes
Keene. Both parents were Puritans. Soon after
Locke's birth, the family moved to the rural town
of Pensford, about seven miles south of Bristol,
where Locke grew up. In 1647, Locke was sent to
the prestigious college called Westminster School
in London under the sponsorship of, a member of
Parliament. After completing his studies there, he was admitted to Christ Church
in Oxford. Although a capable student, Locke was irritated by the undergraduate
curriculum of the time. He found the works of modern philosophers, such as René
Descartes, more interesting than the material taught at the university. Through
his friend Richard Lower, whom he knew from the Westminster School, Locke was
introduced to medicine and the experimental philosophy. Soon after, he began to
write and develop his own philosophy. Locke was awarded a bachelor’s degree in
1656 and a master's degree in 1658. He obtained a bachelor of medicine in 1674.
In 1666, he met Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, who had
come to Oxford seeking treatment for a liver infection. Locke's medical knowledge
was put to the test when Shaftesbury's liver infection became life-threatening.
Locke coordinated the advice of several physicians and was probably instrumental
in persuading Shaftesbury to undergo an operation (then life-threatening itself) to
remove the cyst. Shaftesbury survived and prospered, crediting Locke with saving
his life.
John Locke argued that people are born with what he called, Tabula Rasa,
or a blank slate. To him, people become who they are by the experiences
they have throughout their lives. He believed that people had natural rights.
These are rights that people are born with, and thus should be protected.
These natural rights are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Natural rights
also include the right to own property and religious tolerance. He believed
people can govern themselves once they develop a social contract. This is a
contract between the government and the people in which government
protects the people and their rights, and the people agree to obey the
government. John Locke advocated for separation of powers in the
government. This meant that he believed no one body of government should
have all the power, but rather power should be divided between separate
bodies of government. He believed this would prevent the injustices that
were created by the ideology of absolutism.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-
1679)
Thomas Hobbes was born at Westport on the 5
April 1588. He was born prematurely. Hobbes
later reported that "my mother gave birth to
twins: myself and fear." His childhood is almost
a complete blank, and his mother's name is
unknown. His father, also named Thomas, was
an important figure in the British wealthy
society. Thomas Sr. abandoned his three
children to the care of an older brother, Uncle Francis, when he was forced
to flee to London after being involved in a fight with a clergyman outside his
own church. Hobbes was educated at Westport church from the age of four,
passed to the Malmesbury School at the age of 10 then went to a the private
University of Oxford at the age of 15. Hobbes was a good pupil, and around
1603 he went up to Magdalen Hall in which he finalized his studies in
science and Greek philosophers.
In 1642, civil war broke out in England. Hobbes avoided the conflict
by retreating to Paris France. There, he wrote his famous pamphlet,
Leviathan. In this writing, Hobbes argues what life would be like without
government, a condition which he calls the state of nature. In that state,
each person would have a right, or license, to everything in the world. This,
Hobbes argues, would lead to a "war of all against all." Furthermore, he
believes humans are needy and vulnerable. They are easily led astray in
their attempts to know the world around us. Humans’ ability to reason is as
fragile as the capacity to know. In other words, humans’ ability to
understand the world around them is easily influenced by others who are
most likely to be wrong and negative. When humans act, they may do so
impulsively and ignorantly. He believes human beings are naturally selfish,
that without a strong ruler with absolute power, there would be chaos
because humans are incapable of ruling themselves.
Thomas Paine (1737-
1809)
On January 29, 1737, Thomas Paine was born
in Thetford, England. His father, a dress
maker, had grand visions for his son, but by
the age of 12, Thomas had failed out of school.
The young Paine began apprenticing for his
father, but again, he failed. So, now age 19,
Paine went to sea. This adventure didn't last
too long, and by 1768 he found himself as a tax
officer in England. Thomas didn't exactly excel
at the role, getting discharged from his post
twice in four years. In 1774, by happenstance,
he met Benjamin Franklin in London, who
helped him immigrate to Philadelphia.
His career turned to journalism while in Philadelphia, and suddenly,
Thomas Paine became very important. In 1776, he published Common
Sense, a strong defense of American Independence from England. But,
instead of continuing to help the Revolutionary cause, he returned to
Europe and pursued other ventures, including working on a smokeless
candle and an iron bridge. Even so, his words sparked a revolution.
Paine begins in Common Sense by disguising between government and
society. Society, according to Paine, is everything constructive and good
that people join together to accomplish. Government, on the other hand, is
an institution whose sole purpose is to protect us from our own vices.
Government has its origins in the evil of man and is therefore a necessary
evil at best. Paine says that government's sole purpose is to protect life,
liberty and property, and that a government should be judged solely on the
basis of the extent to which it accomplishes this goal. In other words, people
need government to an extent, if only the government works for the people.
