John Locke's Main Ideas - SHORT AND EASY Summary!

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In this lesson from a TEACHER we will do a short summary of John Locke's main ideas, one of the parents of empiricism and also ofliberalism, and that it has laid the foundations of modern capitalist society. Although he studied medicine and for some time practiced this profession, the English philosopher always showed an interest in political affairs, so when he was forced to flee from England to France and Holland, he began his journey in the countryside of what political and social. He also felt great concern about matters economic and religious. If you want to know more about John Locke's main ideas, he continues reading this article.

Index

1. Most important aspects of John Locke's ideas
2. Essay On Human Understanding by John Locke
3. Treaties Treaties on Civil Understanding

Locke, in opposition to the absolutism of the time, affirms that national sovereignty resides in the people from which the power of the state emanates freely and reciprocally. For its part, the state was obliged to safeguard the rights of the people, the most important being the right to freedom.

“Men always forget that human happiness is a disposition of the mind and not a condition of circumstances "

The type of government that John Locke is betting on would be composed of a monarch and a parliament, expression of the popular will. This government would be subject to the principles of popular sovereignty and legality and obliged to respect the rights of the people. Likewise, he was betting on a separation of powers: legislative and executive. Later, this idea would be more widely developed by Montesquieu.

“Every man has a property over his own person. No one has a right to it, except himself "

The father of modern liberalism had a great influence on the philosophers of his time, mainly in Adam Smith, David Hume, Condillac, and as we have already pointed out, in Montesquieu. But it is probable that Locke's greatest achievement consisted in having played a determining role, both in the North American Constitution, like in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

The Essay on Human Understanding, published in 1960, is possibly one of John Locke's most important works, along with Essay On Toleranceto or the Treaties on Civil Government.

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To better know the main ideas of John Locke it is important that we delve into possibly the most important work of John Locke. In it, the empiricist philosopher denies the existence of innate ideas in the human mind, versus rationalism.

Thus, Locke conceives the mind as a clean sheet, that is, a blank page, and tAll knowledge comes from experience, from the data of the senses and of the own mental activity. Thus, experience is the origin, and also the limit of human knowledge. All knowledge of reality is only possible through sensible experience and everything that is perceived by the human mind, that is, every object of thought, is what Locke is going to call Idea.

These Ideas, says Locke, divide the ideas simple and complex. The first are those that the mind receives through the sensation and perception. The latter are the result of the combination of simple ideas. To the very activity of the mind, you will call, Locke, "reflection”.

In addition to innate ideas, Locke will deny the eexistence of all value absolutor, less in the case of mathematics, even those related to the moral order. Good or bad things are only such, insofar as they produce pleasure or pain. The good is what produces pleasure in the human being and the bad, what produces pain. The sensations, then, will be those that determine the moral.

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And we end this summary with the main ideas of John Locke talking about this work of a political nature published anonymously in the year 1689. It constitutes a whole attack on the society patriarchal, while he develops a theory of the state and civil society based on the natural rights and the social contract.

Locke, proposes a government formed by the king and the parliament, the first being subordinate to the second and both, chosen by the will of the people, from whom power emanates. In order to avoid corruption, the philosopher defends the separation of powers:

1. Can Legislative
2. Can Executive
3. Can Federative

The first is the most important for Locke, since he is chosen and appointed by the people. The fact of having the legislative power gives it the power to make laws, and therefore to elect the executive power.

If you want to read more articles similar to John Locke's main ideas, we recommend that you enter our category of Philosophy.

John Locke. Essay on Human Understanding. Ed. Economic Culture Fund

John Locke. Two Treaties on Civil Government. Ed. Alliance.