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How Did John Locke An Enlightenment Thinker

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How Did John Locke An Enlightenment Thinker
John Locke, an Influential Enlightenment Thinker People wonder who was the most influential enlightenment thinker. But in my opinion, the most influential thinker was John Locke, because he was a champion of individual and inalienable human rights, he came up with the concepts of natural rights that are very common today, and his ideas were accepted as the foundations of both the United States of America and English governments. John Locke’s works lie at the foundations of modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. He was an inspirer of both European Enlightenment and the Constitution of the United States. Supporters of this position believe that John Locke was a champion of individual rights. One reason is because “the man whose ideas on philosophy and political economy are still more powerful than is commonly understood” (Kasper, 3). This explains that even though Locke’s ideas …show more content…
“that equal right… to his natural freedom” (Chadwick 5). This shows that everyone has an equal right to their natural freedom. There is no difference between men and women, everyone is treated fair and the same. “We are all naturally free and equal, we ought to treat all others as free and equal, and therefore ‘no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty or possessions” (Chadwick 5). This exactly explains what John Locke’s natural rights concepts were. Everyone has individual freedom and no one can take it away from them. Also, everyone has to treat everyone equally. They can’t treat one person nicely and one badly just because of their race, nationality, etc. “Men being… by nature all free, equal, and independent.” (Chadwick 11). This quote makes it clear that men, women, children, everyone has freedom and it will never be taken away from them. All of these quotes talk about everyone having their own natural rights, being free, and treated

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