John Locke

One of the pioneers in modern thinking was the English philosopher John Locke. He made great contributions in studies of politics, government, and psychology. John Locke was born in Wrington, Somerset, on Aug. 29, 1632. He was the son of a well-to-do Puritan lawyer who fought for Cromwell in the English Civil War. The father, also named John Locke, was a devout, even-tempered man. The boy was educated at Westminster School and Oxford and later became a …

…to all the people through the politically conscious minority who were thought to represent them. Though he was socially conservative, Locke's writings are very important in the rise of liberal political philosophy. He vindicates the responsibility of government to the governed, the rule of law through impartial judges, and the toleration of religious and speculative opinion. He is an enemy of the totalitarian state, drawing on medieval arguments and deploying them in practical, modern terms.