John Locke's Idea Of Equality In The 1600s

In the 1600s to the mid 1800s the Divine Right of Kings started to collapse in Europe. The reason that this was happening was because people wanted to be treated equal. Some political documents and philosophers that that helped with the idea of equality, were the Magna Carta (1215) The English Bill of Rights (1689), and The American Bill of Rights (1791); Philosophers that helped constitute equality were, John Locke (1632-1704), and Charles Louis-Montesquieu (1689-1755). These documents and Philosophers weren’t the only thing that helped with fall of the Divine Right of Kings. It was also the king themselves. During the Age of Revolution many new ideas began to unfold, but one of the most positive ideas that came about was the idea of equality. Two of the most swaying philosophers that helped to establish equality were John Locke (1632-1704), and Charles Louis-Montesquieu (1689-1755). John Locke was an English philosopher and political theorist (History.com). Locke was said to be the “father of liberalism.” He stated that “All mankind… Being equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions” (Locke Pg. 42). This helped to give people the idea of equality. Many of John Lockes’ ideas are still being used in places such has American and England. Charles Louis-Montesquieu was an English philosopher, …show more content…
It established freedom and rights. With this new idea people had the ability to live according to what they want; not what others want. There were still laws that everyone had to follow, but they were not under a sole ruler. With equality they would know have a true say in what is going on in their country and government. Thanks to philosophers, important documents, and tyrant kings we are now free to do want we want, how we want and when we want, so long as what we follow the laws that our forefather instituted during the Age of