John Locke- Bryden

The Glorious Revolution played a significant role in John Locke’s life. The Glorious Revolution took place from 1688 to1689 which helped John Locke shape his views on society and government. John Locke was born in 1632 and died in 1704. Locke believed humans were basically good and cooperative. Locke argued that the only purpose of the government would be to serve the people and meet their needs. Locke remains one of the best philosophers because his views have impacted today’s society and government.

Locke was an outstanding philosopher and was one of the most prominent enlightenment thinkers. The Enlightenment Era was a time where philosophers shared their ideas on society and government. John Locke was an English philosopher, doctor, and scientist. When Locke died, his ideas became popular in France and in North America. Since Locke lived through the Glorious Revolution, he believed society was reasonable and would cooperate.

John Locke’s ideas influenced how people viewed an individual’s role in society. People still settled their disputes with each other peacefully because they understood that everyone had the natural rights that God provided them with. Natural rights are liberty, life, and property. When someone tries to take advantage of a situation for their own gain, problems start to arise. People will act like their surroundings. They will be calm in a peaceful surrounding and will be aggressive in a violent situation. He also stated that it is very difficult to be human without society or family to teach them. Locke believed that everyone lived peacefully in the state of nature because there were no rules of any kind or a government to say what they could or could not do. Locke believed that the government should protect the natural rights of the people.

Locke believed that laws were one of the reasons for chaos in the world. Locke’s theory stated that the government would only exist to serve the people. He saw the government as a contract between the ruler and the ruled. When the government no longer meets the people’s needs, the people had the right to make any changes that were necessary. They could rebel against the government and replace it with something that benefited them more. Locke said that no one had the divine right to rule; that God gave them the right to rule. In 1690, Locke published, Two Treaties on the Government. Locke agreed with Hobbes, another philosopher, that the purpose of government was to establish order in society. Governments today have followed Locke’s views with a social contract between them and the people they govern.
            Locke presented many important ideas. He believed people had natural rights. The government was responsible for protecting these rights, but its power would be limited. Locke had more of an optimistic view on human nature than Hobbes. Locke believed people didn’t need laws to keep them in line. People still settled their disputes with each other peacefully because they understood that everyone had the natural rights that God provided them with. Locke was the best philosopher during the Enlightenment Era.