How Did John Locke's Influence On Political Philosophy

There are numerous political philosophers who have inspired change and freedom, but none can compare to English philosopher John Locke, the founder of modern Western philosophy. John Locke was one of the most influential political philosophers during the 17th century whose ideas influenced many creative minds such as Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Paine, all Founding Fathers of the United States.

As a young youth, Locke received an excellent education through his father, who had connections and served the English government. Locke enrolled in Westminster School in 1647, London, where he earned the honor of becoming a “King’s Scholar,” which allowed him to further pursue his education in Christ’s Church, 1652. At the college he
As the two became friends, Shaftsbury encouraged him to become his physician, Locke agreed and assisted in his political and personal matters. Locke wrote the Two Treatises of Government during his time with Shaftsbury, his ideas about the natural rights of man and social contract. After gaining recognition from the masses of England, he was the target of England for introducing revolutionary ideas, and was later exiled from England due to a failed assassination attempt of King Charles and his brother.

Locke returned to England and published another story called “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”. Still a member of the Whig party, Locke continued to guide the group which oversaw new territories in North America. John Locke died on October 28, 1704, a pioneer in the field of political philosophy and inspiration to
To Locke, a government should have a ruler that has authority through the consent of the governed, and the government should protect the unalienable rights such as life, liberty, and property. Examples include the Magna Carta, which established the rule that a king’s power was not absolute. The Petition of Right allowed commoners to have a voice in the government. English Bill of Rights ensured free elections and permitted citizens who committed crimes, rights. The United States was created through John Locke’s writings, established as a democratic government. The US is a constitutional government as well, with a set of laws and principles defined in the constitution, also known as delegated powers. America’s leaders are not permanent like monarchs are, they have a 4 year term to serve until those 4 years are over. The president is the chief executive, and chief administrator of the United States. To ensure that the president isn’t corrupt, the president has close advisors to help him with his day to day operations. They are also known as the cabinet. The Senate which consists of 100 senators representing 50 states and is elected every 6 years. The House of Representatives has 435 members and each member serve 2 year terms. The American founders were well practiced in the writings of John Locke, who the government of America was based solely off of John Locke and his