John Locke's influence on the Enlightenment

John Locke was an English philosopher of the 17th century who theorized that all humans are born equal and that all humans were born with a blank slate or "Tabula Rasa". After Locke theorized that all humans are born equal, he came to the conclusion that all humans have natural rights or inalienable rights. In addition, Locke included that since all humans were born with a "Tabula Rasa", only personal experiences can affect them. Locke also promoted that the government's main purpose is to create laws or legislation and to enforce the laws or execution.

John Locke believed in the social contract which is the acceptance of laws within a society. Basically, if a person were to live in a city, they would have to follow the laws in the city to live there. Thomas Hobbes, one of the founders of the social contract, believed opposite of what Locke did, he believed that all humans were born evil and that laws protect us from our evil state. However, Locke believed that if people wanted to their rights to be safe, they would have to give up some freedom. This would lead to the modern day democracy and republicanism. Locke also believed in Popular Sovereignty, which means that the people create the government, the people have power over the government and the people must have a say in the government. Locke believed that this was the best way to govern.

"His ideas had enormous influence on the development of Epistemology and Political Philosophy". Locke was apart of the of the British Empiricists, which was a philosophical movement in England of the 17th and 18th century. British Empiricists is the idea that all knowledge comes from personal experience. John Locke's Philosophy of Mind is the philosophical study of human nature. Also many of his ideas influenced american founders such as Thomas Jefferson. This is seen in the Declaration of Independence when Jefferson writes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is very similar to John Locke's natural rights, life, liberty and property. Obviously it is seen that Jefferson's writing was influenced by Locke's work.