John Locke was born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, Somerset and was raised
in Pensford. John wanted to study medicine although his father, an
attorney wanted him to become a minister. John attended Oxford University
and after he graduated in 1664, he began to speak out in support of the
rights of man and freedom of religion. The Earl of Shaftesbury, Anthony
Ashley Cooper, was Locke's friend and managed to get him small government
jobs. In 1675, Locke went to France because Cooper was losing influence
and power. He briefly returned to England in 1679, then left to Holland.
John returned to England in 1688, after Protestantism replaced Catholicism
as England's religion. He became a member of the Board of Trade under
William III in 1696. He resigned in 1700, before he died on October
28, 1704.
John Locke believed that the people had the right to rebel against an oppressive
government, human beings were not corrupt by nature, and people had the
gift of reason. In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding,
he wrote that humans were born with a blank slate without intuition.
Unlike his contemporary, Thomas
Hobbes, Locke opposed monarchies
and did not believe in divine right. He thought that the government
should protect rights to life, liberty, and property. Locke's ideas
influenced many people, including Thomas Jefferson as he was writing the
Constitution of the United States of America.
