...John Locke's contributions in Philosophy and political views are followed and practiced even to this day. Locke’s ideas influenced religion, economics, political change, theories of knowledge and the human understanding that led to governmental and social improvements. John Locke believed in political reform. John Locke is one of the most influential authors and political philosophers in history. His ideas and views have influenced such momentous commodity such as the American constitution. Many of Locke’s ideas were used in the creation of the United States Constitution. John Locke was a British philosopher and medical researcher. Locke was born to Agnes Keene and John Locke on August 29, 1632, in Somerset, England. His father was a Puritan lawyer, who served as a Captain during the English civil war. Locke’s schooling began at Westminster School in 1647. He earned the title of King’s Scholar, which prepared him for the next phase of his education at the Christ Church in Oxford in 1652. He studied literature, physical science, medicine, politics, and natural philosophy. In 1656 he continued for his Master of Arts degree. In 1665 at Oxford, Locke encountered Lord Ashley, a notable statesman looking for medical treatment. After a friendship formed, Ashley invited Locke to join him in London as his personal physician. Locke agreed and left for London in 1667, where he lived for the next eight years. This was the beginning of Locke’s deep political interests, which was...
Words: 2488 - Pages: 10
...**Discuss how a famous philosopher (of your choosing) influenced the way American's political system was formed and how it still works today** John Locke’s Influence on American Democracy John Locke (1632–1704) was a British philosopher, Oxford academic, and political activist. Locke is referred to by many American political philosophers as one of the most influential political philosophers of the modern period. His ideologies and beliefs in regards to politics, religion, and the relationship between a country’s citizens and its government are heavily referenced within some of the United States’ most important documents. Locke’s association with Anthony Ashley Cooper led him to become a successful government official, an economic and political writer, an opposition political activist, and finally a revolutionary whose cause ultimately prevailed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 (Woolhouse, 2007). John Locke’s many writings and speeches on the importance of the freedom of man from a totalitarian government has influenced American politics dating back to the early days of the Continental Congress and the drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence. Perhaps the most central concept in Locke's political philosophy that influenced American political thought is his theory of natural law and natural rights. Among Locke's political works, he is most famous for the Two Treatise of Government in which he argues that sovereignty resides in the people and explains that...
Words: 1084 - Pages: 5
...Ella K: The founding fathers were concerned with the uprising of another monarch, as the British tyranny, they experienced before. Looking at past history, they looked at the success that the Roman Republic experienced when the people held the power and when they elected representatives with the same interests they both believed in. This concept was loosely based on two governments in mind, a direct and representative democracy, and a lot of other influences in mind. Such influences came from John Locke’s words and wisdom, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and James Madison. The Founding Fathers looked at Rome which was a republic, a government where the people hold the power and elect representatives, and the Greeks, which came up with the original idea of democracy, though theirs was a direct one, where an individual vote themselves rather than for the representative....
Words: 578 - Pages: 3
...Summary | What was its influence on the Constitution? | Magna Carta | The Magna Carter gave the colonist the belief that they had the same rights and opportunities as the Englishmen. The 5th amendment derived from the Magna Carta(http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/) | The Magna Carta helped inspire the 5th amendment guaranteed proceedings for the law of the land(http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/) | Mayflower Compact | The purpose of the Mayflower Compact was to set up a government that the colonist can live by in their settlements | The Mayflower Compact served as the main foundation of the US Constitution. It basically laid down the basic laws that are present in it. . | Articles of Confederation | | | Northwest Ordinance | | | Declaration of Independence | Helped form the USA and separate from British power. The declaration of independence set up the rules for the new country | This gave the people the right to be free and to equals | Philosophers | Who was this? | How did his writings influence the Constitution? | Thomas Hobbes | Hobbes is the founding father of political philosophy(Hobbes, Thomas (1998 [1642]) On the Citizen, ed & trans Richard Tuck and Michael Silverthorne (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge) | Hobbes basically said that each individual has the right everything. | John Locke | John Locke was considered one of Britains greatest Philosphers and the father of Empiricism ( http://www...
Words: 501 - Pages: 3
...John's main sphere of influence was Europe, and the United States. He was very famous and important at the time for England. Maybe even one of the most famous and important people in the world at the time. He also influenced the American, French and Haitian revolutions. John was a philosopher. (someone who thinks a lot about how people think). John Locke has influenced many other leaders too such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. John got his power by being a philosopher. He got a very good education because of his dad having connections to the government. And that is what got him where he was at the time. The way that he used his power was maybe the most central idea in Locke's political way of thinking...
Words: 1159 - Pages: 5
...reason for the uprising of the original thirteen colonies. Thomas Jefferson dedicated most of his life to the crucial needs of America and its government in order to form a true republic of the people. Like many of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson strengthened his beliefs through personal studies and deep examination of European history. Many history books will tell that the contributing factors that formed Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of the identity of America were linked to events such as the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the British Country party. However, one man’s works continually surfaced in Jefferson’s political and even private writings. John Locke, a British Enlightenment philosopher, was repeatedly referenced in documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Notes on the State of Virginia, and the Summary View of the Rights of British America. Jefferson repeatedly used Locke’s concepts as would even sometimes use the exact same phrases. This would make Thomas Jefferson, the first ever American to plagiarize! The irony in this is that America was just now forming its own personality, one separate from Britain, but the concepts and beliefs that helped form that identity were partly coming from a long dead British man. John Locke’s influence over Thomas Jefferson’s outlook on forming a government is undeniable...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...nation in this world’s history. This is reflected absolutely in the documents that set the law of the land, written by our founding fathers. The Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Declaration of Rights represent the idea that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, while our Constitution encourages a “separation of powers” that keeps the governing bodies from assuming total control over the governed. Some of these ideas are also highlighted in Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, which was written as a means to convince the citizens of the colonies to secede from the oppressive Great Britain. While we take great pride in the fact that the likes of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Mason employed these ideas in the forging of the United States, these ideas were not their own. In fact, they were utilized by men that existed long before the founding fathers were born. Men like John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau held these beliefs and articulated them in many of their works, which the founders would use centuries later as references in the drafting of our founding documents. So, it’s only fair that we take an in-depth look at how these three men influenced the founders of our great country. When John Locke wrote the Second Treatise of Civil Government, a movement called the Exclusion Crisis introduced the Exclusion Bill...
Words: 1352 - Pages: 6
...The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Paper University of phoenix Finance and Budgeting in Justice and Security AJS/532 Matthew O’Deane November 20, 2013 The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Paper My paper evaluates the Social Contract Theory of John Locke, and how his principles are even within the criminal justice system, and private security situations nowadays. This paper shall also in great detail debate whether or not Locke’s’ values and beliefs pertain to criminal justice as well as private security venues. A summary will be presented to identify key dissimilarities of the social contract theories, recognize key any principles connected with Locke’s social contract theory, label how these codes are instilled within the United States Bill of Rights, recognize how these principles show within the criminal justice system and security organizations of present, and lastly define independence in regards to personal rights and proper principles, and commitments. “A social contract is a voluntary agreement in which mutual benefit occurs between and for individuals, groups, government or a community as a whole. According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one's life as one best sees fit, free from the interference of others (Kelly, Martin. (2012)).” This doesn’t mean that it is a state of authorization: a citizen isn’t...
Words: 1582 - Pages: 7
...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was signed between the Barons of Medieval England and King John. The |The Magna Carta established the right of due process and provided a basis of higher law that could not | | |Great Charter was signed at Runnymeade near the Windsor Castle and was an attempt by |be altered by executive mandate or legislative acts ("Magna Carta: Cornerstone Of The U.s. | | |the Barons to prohibit the King from abusing his power over the people ("Magna |Constitution", n.d.). | | |Carta", 2000-2012).. | | | |The Magna Carta consists of 63 clauses, many of the clauses address the English legal |Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. (n.d.). Retrieved from | | |system. It states that every man shall...
Words: 1851 - Pages: 8
...roots and what influenced the ideas of the Founding Fathers. This paper dives into those influences on the development of the political system that has been successful for all of these years. The Founding Fathers drew upon the writings and history of a number...
Words: 1573 - Pages: 7
...psychology. Many of the philosophers and physiologists have served as visionaries and founding fathers of the hierarchy system that have revolutionized the way things are in the psychology field, along with inspire the work of other psychologists in the earlier eras. It’s some many different key proponents that were responsible for laying down the blueprint and blazing the trail towards the forward continuity of growth in psychology. It’s philosophers like John Locke and physiologists like Herman Von Helmholtz that have been responsible for changing the landscape of psychology with their monumental contributions. John Locke was a very keen intelligent college student that was a catalyst for helping evolve the world of new psychology immensely with his contributions in the early 1600 era. He had a plethora of accomplishments that cultivated him to being one of the influential philosophers of his time. According to Shultz (2012) John Locke was the commissioner of appeals in England where he went on to write a multitude of books on topics such as education, religion and economics (p. 37). ‘’His writings brought him much fame and influence, and he was known throughout Europe as a champion of liberalism in government’’ says Schultz (2012, p.37). According to Schultz ‘’Some of his work had an impact on the writers of the American Declaration of Independence’’ (2012, p. 37). Shultz says that ‘’Locke’s major work of importance to psychology is An...
Words: 737 - Pages: 3
...Comparing Thomas Hobbes and John Locke’s views concerning what life is like in a state of nature, we can see that the two-theorist’s share opposite views in making an assumption of what the state of nature is like. Thomas Hobbes’ views include pessimistic views of nature and how its effects can influence man to selfishly consider what he would need to do to secure his safety while John Locke presents a natural concept that assumes there is a universal thought of good that man is aware of. Attempting to justify the role of government or justice by understanding the state of nature can be somewhat accurate and can be considered for such purposes, but may fail to answer some aspects of society overall and leave other things unanswered. In regards...
Words: 3320 - Pages: 14
...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Complete each section below. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |Written in 1215, the document was a series of written promises |The magna carta served as the first piece of legislature attempting to keep the | | |that the King would rule England and deal with the people |rights for the people fair. The Americans saw it and read about it and decided it | | |fairly according to feudal law. It was an attempt by the barons|was time America had “higher law” ideas and design a document to give the people | | |to stop the king from becoming an oppressor more than a ruler. |rights and to protect them from oppression, such as the people during the time of | | | |the magna carta were suffering. | |Mayflower Compact |The mayflower compact served as the document needed to keep the|Much like the magna carta, the mayflower compact was put into...
Words: 1671 - Pages: 7
...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. Documents | Summary | What was its influence on the Constitution? | Magna Carta | Issued by King John of England in 1215 when Englishmen went to the colonies they were given charters that guaranteed them and their heirs would “have and enjoy all liberties and immunities of free and natural subjects.” The document clearly stated that no free man could be prosecuted by any means other than the law of the land. ReferenceAll About History (unkn) The Magna Carta. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/ on June 6, 2011. | This was used as a template 575 years later in the Bill of Rights toward the fifth amendment. The fifth amendment guarantees “No person shall… be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” | Mayflower Compact | Drawn up by the 41 adult males from the Mayflower, the new settlers from Plymouth created a contract with fair and equal laws, for the “general good”. The Mayflower settlers knew from previous attempts without some type of government they would fail. It allowed them to practice Protestant instead of the Church of England and other liberties without command. ReferenceFeatured Documents (unkn) The Mayflower Compact. Retrieved from http://www.allabouthistory.org/mayflower-compact.htm on June 6, 2011. | The Constitution was created on...
Words: 1958 - Pages: 8
...All of the many people who suggested their ideas for the Constitution, got them by thoroughly studying other governments and places. The United States now runs by an indirect democracy. All in which was took bits and pieces from many other governments. The major influences on the making of the United States Constitution were ancient civilizations, the British government, and the Enlightenment. One of the many influences on the US Constitution was ancient civilizations governments that were studied extensively by the framers. Ancient Rome consisted of a strong representative type of government, a republic. The Roman Republic consisted of different types of governments, or a mixed government. Their republic included elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. The government worked in which a way where the decision were based off of the need of the people. In this type of government citizens were able to vote for congressmen and representatives. Likewise, the Constitution illustrates a republican form of government. In the United States, people elect senators, members of the...
Words: 1866 - Pages: 8