Spencer Escue
Coach Quinn
European History
November 24, 2015
The Ideas of John Locke A philosopher is someone who is engaged or learned in philosophy. So who were some of the greatest philosophers? John Locke was an English philosopher and physician during the seventeenth century. Locke was known as one of the greatest philosophers during this time which is known as the enlightenment. Locke’s many different ideas of the world have been well prescribed into The Two Treatises of Government. In this essay Locke’s many different ideas form religion to politics is written down. In this paper I will describe his beliefs on religion by touching base in his ideas on the story of Adam and Eve; his many influential ideas on the concept of war; his …show more content…
In this essay Locke explained that despite the thoughts of other people he knew that Adam was created by God’s power: “For I find no difficulty to suppose the freedom of mankind, though I have always believed the creation of Adam. He was created, or began to exist, by God’s immediate power, without the intervention of parents, or the pre-existence of any of the same species to beget him, when it pleased God he should; and so did the lion, the king of beasts, before him, by the same creating power of God: and if bare existence by that power, and in that way, will give dominion” (Two Treatises of Government 15). This quote goes into vast detail about the story of Adam. Locke explains to the people that he truly believes that Adam was created by God and that any other version of the story is false. Another point that Locke makes out in his essay is proof of Adams sovereignty. In Locke’s essay he tries to explain that Adam has supreme authority over the world in the beginning: There is one thing more, and then I think I have given you all that our author brings for proof of Adam’s sovereignty, and that is a supposition of a natural right of dominion over his children, by being …show more content…
He believed that men have the earth to supply them with anything they need: “Whether we consider natural reason, which tells us that men, being once born, have a right to their preservation, and consequently to meat and drink and such other things as Nature affords for their subsistence” (Two Treatises of Government Page 115). Along with these beliefs of property he also mentions that it is difficult to make out property under the belief that God have everything to Adam. Because this, he believed that God gave the world to all mankind to use it to their advantage: “God, who hath given the world to men in common, hath also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience” (Two Treatises of Government Page 115). Along with Locke’s beliefs on property and war he also had an influential belief on slavery. Locke believed that slavery was wrong and that every man should be free to roam the world. He mentions that no one should be under the authority of another man but he should own his own life: “The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of Nature for his rule” (Two Treatises of Government Page
Coach Quinn
European History
November 24, 2015
The Ideas of John Locke A philosopher is someone who is engaged or learned in philosophy. So who were some of the greatest philosophers? John Locke was an English philosopher and physician during the seventeenth century. Locke was known as one of the greatest philosophers during this time which is known as the enlightenment. Locke’s many different ideas of the world have been well prescribed into The Two Treatises of Government. In this essay Locke’s many different ideas form religion to politics is written down. In this paper I will describe his beliefs on religion by touching base in his ideas on the story of Adam and Eve; his many influential ideas on the concept of war; his …show more content…
In this essay Locke explained that despite the thoughts of other people he knew that Adam was created by God’s power: “For I find no difficulty to suppose the freedom of mankind, though I have always believed the creation of Adam. He was created, or began to exist, by God’s immediate power, without the intervention of parents, or the pre-existence of any of the same species to beget him, when it pleased God he should; and so did the lion, the king of beasts, before him, by the same creating power of God: and if bare existence by that power, and in that way, will give dominion” (Two Treatises of Government 15). This quote goes into vast detail about the story of Adam. Locke explains to the people that he truly believes that Adam was created by God and that any other version of the story is false. Another point that Locke makes out in his essay is proof of Adams sovereignty. In Locke’s essay he tries to explain that Adam has supreme authority over the world in the beginning: There is one thing more, and then I think I have given you all that our author brings for proof of Adam’s sovereignty, and that is a supposition of a natural right of dominion over his children, by being …show more content…
He believed that men have the earth to supply them with anything they need: “Whether we consider natural reason, which tells us that men, being once born, have a right to their preservation, and consequently to meat and drink and such other things as Nature affords for their subsistence” (Two Treatises of Government Page 115). Along with these beliefs of property he also mentions that it is difficult to make out property under the belief that God have everything to Adam. Because this, he believed that God gave the world to all mankind to use it to their advantage: “God, who hath given the world to men in common, hath also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience” (Two Treatises of Government Page 115). Along with Locke’s beliefs on property and war he also had an influential belief on slavery. Locke believed that slavery was wrong and that every man should be free to roam the world. He mentions that no one should be under the authority of another man but he should own his own life: “The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of Nature for his rule” (Two Treatises of Government Page