In 1666, Locke became an associate of Lord Shaftesbury, a key figure in English political life after the Restoration (1660), and Locke was appointed to governmental posts at Shaftesbury's recommendation. Locke was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (1668).
- Historical Background and Locke’s Life John Locke (1632–1704) was one of the greatest philosophers in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century. Locke grew up and lived through one of the most extraordinary centuries of English political and intellectual history.
John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher responsible for laying the foundation of the European Enlightenment. Locke believed that each branch of government...
Locke is often recognized as the founder of British Empiricism and it is true that Locke laid the foundation for much of English-language philosophy in the 18 th and early 19 th centuries.
Explore John Locke's philosophy with this beginner-friendly guide. Learn about his ideas on tabula rasa, moral law, the state of nature, social contract, education, and more.
John Locke (1632-1704) was a British philosopher during the Enlightenment, and he influenced many facets of modern Western thought. He is most famously remembered for his concept of the human mind as a tabula rasa, or "blank slate."
John Locke, English philosopher whose works lie at the foundation of modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. He was an inspirer of both the European Enlightenment and the Constitution of the United States. Learn more about Locke’s life and career.
Locke’s “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1689) outlined a theory of human knowledge, identity and selfhood that would be hugely influential to Enlightenment thinkers.