John Locke
John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (O.S.)) was 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 Francis Bacon, Locke is equally important to social contract theory. His work greatly affected the development of Epistemology and Political Philosophy. His writings influenced Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American Revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence. Internationally, Locke’s political-legal principles continue to have a profound influence on the theory and practice of limited representative government and the protection of basic rights and freedoms under the rule of law.
Locke’s theory of mind is often cited as the origin of modern conceptions of Identity and Self, figuring prominently in the work of later philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant.
He postulated that, at birth, the mind was a blank slate, or tabula rasa. Contrary to Cartesian philosophy based on pre-existing concepts, he maintained that we are born without innate ideas, and that knowledge is instead determined only by experience derived from sense perception, a concept now known as Empiricism.
LockeEmpiricismbing private property as a natural right, arguing that when a person — metaphorically — mixes their labour with nature, resources can be removed from the common state of nature.
Lockean empiricism is the philosophy that all knowledge originates from sensory experience, and the mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate) at birth. This theory, developed by John Locke, posits that we gain ideas through two types of experience: sensation (observing the external world through the senses) and reflection (observing the internal operations of our own minds). Complex ideas are then formed by combining these simple ideas.
Key principles of Lockean empiricism
- Tabula rasa: The mind is a blank slate at birth, with no innate ideas or knowledge.
- Experience is the source of all ideas: All concepts, beliefs, and judgments are derived from sensory experience or reflection.
- Sensation and reflection: These are the two ways we acquire ideas:
- Sensation: The external world provides raw ideas through senses like sight, taste, and touch (e.g., the idea of “red” from seeing something red).
- Reflection: The mind observes its own operations, such as thinking, doubting, and believing, to form ideas about its internal states.
- Simple and complex ideas:
- Simple ideas: Ideas that are uniform and unmixed, received directly from sensation (e.g., the idea of “whiteness” or “coldness”).
- Complex ideas: New ideas formed by combining and comparing simple ideas (e.g., the complex idea of “snow” is a combination of the simple ideas of “white” and “cold”).
- Limits of imagination: We can combine simple ideas in new ways to form complex ones, but we cannot create a simple idea for something we have never experienced through our senses. For example, you can’t imagine a completely new color that you have never seen before.
- Primary and secondary qualities: Locke distinguished between qualities inherent to objects (primary qualities like shape, size, motion) and those that are mind-dependent (secondary qualities like color, taste, and smell).
AI responses may include mistakes.
[2] https://study.com/academy/lesson/video/john-lockes-theory-of-empiricism.html
[4] https://iep.utm.edu/locke-ep/
[5] https://geoffpynn.weebly.com/uploads/4/1/6/2/41626837/handout_lockes_empiricism.pdf
[6] https://newlearningonline.com/literacies/chapter-11/john-locke-on-empirical-knowledge
[9] https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fmcc-philosophy1/chapter/locke/
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Hobbes advocated for an absolute sovereign to maintain order because he believed humans are inherently selfish, while Locke argued for a limited government to protect natural rights, including life, liberty, and property, because he viewed humans as reasonable and capable of self-governance. The fundamental difference lies in their views of human nature: Hobbes saw it as inherently chaotic and requiring absolute authority, whereas Locke saw humans as capable of reason and cooperation, requiring only a government to secure their rights.
Hobbesian Philosophy (Thomas Hobbes)
- Human Nature: Humans are inherently self-interested, driven by a desire for power and survival, and would create a “war of all against all” in a state of nature.
- State of Nature: Life without government is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”.
- Social Contract: Individuals surrender all their natural rights to an absolute sovereign in exchange for security and order.
- Government: An absolute, unquestionable sovereign with nearly limitless power is necessary to prevent chaos and maintain peace.
- Purpose of Government: To protect people from themselves and each other.
Lockean Philosophy (John Locke)
- Human Nature: Humans are naturally good, reasonable, and possess inherent natural rights.
- State of Nature: A state of freedom and equality where people can govern themselves based on reason, though conflicts are possible.
- Social Contract: People agree to form a government to better protect their natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
- Government: A government with limited powers, derived from the consent of the governed, designed to serve the people.
- Purpose of Government: To protect natural rights and make property more secure.
Key Differences Summarized
- Human Nature: Hobbes saw it as selfish; Locke saw it as reasonable.
- State of Nature: Hobbes saw it as war; Locke saw it as peaceful but potentially chaotic.
- Government Power: Hobbes supported absolute power; Locke supported limited power.
- Sovereignty: In Hobbes, it resides in the absolute ruler; in Locke, it ultimately resides with the people.
- Right to Rebellion: Hobbes rejected it; Locke believed citizens could overthrow a government that failed to protect their rights.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.thecollector.com/hobbes-locke-state-nature/
[2] https://brainly.com/question/39702122
[3] https://philosophyball.miraheze.org/wiki/Hobbesianism
[4] https://philosophyball.miraheze.org/wiki/Lockeanism
[5] https://studycorgi.com/thomas-hobbes-and-john-locke-beliefs-and-ideas-comparison/
[6] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/hobbes-locke-and-social-contract
[7] https://study.com/learn/lesson/video/thomas-hobbes-vs-john-lock-social-contract.html
[8] https://hanlheem.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/t.-hobbes-j.-locke.pdf
[10] https://www.mackinac.org/10295
[12] https://www.quora.com/Who-do-you-think-is-right-Locke-or-Hobbes
[13] https://brainly.com/question/52131672
[14] https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-fundamental-disagreement-between-John-Locke-and-Thomas-Hobbes