Contents
John Locke
Arguing for government by consent and examining how knowledge develops from experience.
Two Treatises of Government · Letter concerning Toleration
- Born
- 29 August 1632
- Birthplace
- Wrington, England, United Kingdom
- Died
- 28 October 1704
More people
John Locke
John Locke was an English philosopher whose work influenced liberal political thought and theories of knowledge.
Early life
Somerset upbringing
Grew up during the upheavals of seventeenth-century England.
Oxford study
Studied at Christ Church and developed interests in medicine and natural philosophy.
Career
- 1660s–1670s
Public and intellectual work
Worked with Anthony Ashley Cooper, later Earl of Shaftesbury.
- 1683–1689
Exile
Lived in the Netherlands during political conflict in England.
- 1689 onward
Major publications
Published works on government, toleration and knowledge.
Selected writings
Two Treatises of Government
Examined consent, rights and legitimate authority.
Letter concerning Toleration
Argued for religious toleration within limits that later critics challenge.
Essay concerning Human Understanding
Studied the origins and limits of knowledge.
Historical context
Medicine
Worked closely with physician Thomas Sydenham.
Historical contradictions
His colonial and commercial connections complicate the relationship between his political principles and practice.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ↗Photo: Godfrey Kneller. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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