John Locke :: Empiricists, Empiricism

Intrigued by the notions of inalienable rights, John Locke became known as a 17th century English philosopher of the enlightenment. Born on August 29,1632, Locke possessed a good deal of influence because of his connection with England and the United States. John Locke had a plethora of Philosophical theories. I will further elaborate on the idea of Locke’s thoughts on inalienable rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One might first begin with addressing the question of what are Inalienable rights? To this I answer that they are those natural rights belonging to individuals by virtue of their humanity. Locke’s focus is primarily based upon the ideas of freedom and equality as a whole. He believes that citizens should naturally possess the right to life liberty and happiness, which is portrayed in the constitution of the United States. These inalienable rights or natural rights have derived from the law of nature. The law of nature is a state that relies purely on the law of God, which is also known as moral law. This law gave people the natural right to life, liberty, and happiness without question. In addition, Locke believed that people also possess the basic right of self-defense if under attack. However, Locke’s key aspect of his theories was the basic idea of equality. He said that nobody has the right to rule and that consent is critical because it’s based on the premises that all people are equal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Locke is very much known as a political philosopher in today’s modern society. Because much of Locke’s philosophy centered on subjects such as natural rights and knowledge, he has in-turn shaped American politics in such a way that it has never been the same. Locke has challenged many theories have to do with inalienable rights as a part of natural law; therefore he had much to do with the involvement in the evolution of the American Government.