John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRSwas an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism". Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Sir Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social contract theory. His work greatly affected the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American revolutionaries. His contributions...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth29 August 1632
Reading furnishes the mind only with material for knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.
I have no reason to suppose that he, who would take away my Liberty, would not when he had me in his Power, take away everything else.
If punishment makes not the will supple it hardens the offender
Man... hath by nature a power .... to preserve his property - that is, his life, liberty, and estate - against the injuries and attempts of other men.
Nature never makes excellent things for mean or no uses.
There being nothing more evident than that creatures of the same species should be equal amongst one another without subordination or subjection
The picture of a shadow is a positive thing.
When the sacredness of property is talked of, it should be remembered that any such sacredness does not belong in the same degree to landed property.
If we will disbelieve everything, because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much what as wisely as he who would not use his legs, but sit still and perish, because he had no wings to fly.
Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural.
Probability is a kind of penance, which God made, suitable, I presume to that state of mediocrity and probationership he has been pleased to place us in here; wherein, to check our over-confidence and presumption, we might, by every day's experience, be made sensible of our short-sightedness, and liableness to error.
Every man must some time or other be trusted to himself.
Virtue is everywhere that which is thought praiseworthy; and nothing else but that which has the allowance of public esteem is called virtue.
Justice and truth are the common ties of society