Briana McQueen: Government CP

1. DEMOCRATIC VALUES:
JOHN LOCKE
By: Briana McQueen
1/26/18

2. JOHN LOCKE: BIOGRAPHY &
INFLUENCES
Philosopher John Locke was born in August of 1632. He was born and
raised in England. After the first Civil War in England, his father sent
him to Westminster School in London. Here, Locke became the an
academic scholar and excelled. This would eventually be a foundation
to his knowledge of the people.
John Locke influenced American political philosophy because of the
social contract. The Social Contract states the rights of the people
and the rights they have. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of property”, is
what the basis of the US Constitution. Locke also talked about
empiricism and how human beings retain information. He said the
mind is a tabula rasa, this means that people only learn from
experience. Locke helped draft the English Bill of Rights, and the Two
Treatises of Government to further explain the origins and historical
backgrounds of government.

3. ONGOING INFLUENCES
I do believe that Locke’s influence is still evident in American Politics
today. He has left a foundation that others like himself has built on.
An example is his Two Treatises, which stirred up more political
thinking. Because of the American Revolution and wars after, people
wanted types of representative governments. Locke’s ideas about a
representative governments were appealing to the citizens of
America. This is why we live in a democracy, which cares about the
people and cares about the wants of the people. His political
philosophy is what keeps our government so strong today.

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rogers, Graham A.J. “John Locke.” Encyclopædia Britannica,
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 22 Nov. 2017,
www.britannica.com/biography/John-Locke.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/locke/#SH4a.