How Did John Locke Influence Society

In the grand scheme of things, John Locke is a modern philosopher when compared to Plato, Homer, and the like. Even though Locke was not born thousands of years ago, he affected the world just as much as ancient philosophers. Locke’s philosophy contributed to the American Revolution then eventually played a large role in the formation of the United States of America and the nation’s Constitution. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of property were unheard of at Locke’s time. His philosophy helped revolutionize not just one country, but the entire world. John Locke was born in Wrington, England in 1632 to a Puritan couple. His father was a lawyer and previously served in the military during the English Civil War. Compared to many
The most influential reference from John Locke is based from his philosophy outlined by Two Treatises of Government; “That all men have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of property.” Pursuit of property was later changed by Thomas Jefferson, a follower of Locke’s philosophy, to pursuit of happiness. The First Treatise was written by arguing the theory that men were not born slaves to monarchs and royalty. This notion was counteracted by Locke’s belief that men are given the gift of self-rule from God. The Second Treatise explains that laws are made by governments for the good of the public and are decided on by the public. This is seen in modern democracy by putting up legislation for public vote. The function of property is addressed by the Second Treatise. As said in the Bible, John Locke believed that the Earth and her bounty belonged to the human race as a whole, not Earls, Kings, or Queens. Physical labor and products of physical labor are included in Locke’s definition property. This notion helped define values for products because of the amount of labor put into the product. The idea of physical labor adding value to products is still used