1632 – 1704
John Locke was a highly influential philosopher whose writings helped found modern Western philosophy.
- He developed the principles of humanism and individual freedom and will hence forth be known as ” The Father of Liberalism”
- Established life, liberty, and estate as the three natural rights innate to man kind
- He is responsible for the absence of nobility in America
- Argues his tabula rasa theory, which suggested that individuals are not born with mental content but rather our knowledge comes from experience and perception
- His theories of separation of church and state, religious freedom, and liberty shaped and influenced the thinking of American founders
