John Locke
English philosopher who founded liberalism and empiricism. His Two Treatises of Government argued for natural rights, consent of the governed, and the right to revolution, directly inspiring the American Declaration of Independence. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding established the mind as a blank slate shaped by experience.
Works
- Two Treatises of GovernmentDefense of limited government and natural rights theory of property
- An Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingEpistemological work arguing knowledge comes from sensory experience and reflection
- A Letter Concerning TolerationPolitical argument for religious toleration and limits on state authority
- Some Thoughts Concerning EducationEducational treatise on rearing children for virtue, reason, and good health
- The Reasonableness of ChristianityDemonstration that Christian faith accords with reason and natural revelation