How Did John Locke Influence Constitutionalism

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Influence of John Locke’s Philosophy On Constitutionalism and Robinson Crusoe
The political and demotic atmospheres of a state altered impressively by the emerging of new philosophy as tracing back to the history of 17th -18th century Europe. John Locke, a great British philosopher of 17th century, laid a ground foundation for the Enlightenment and contributes to the conceptualization of liberalism and equality. His theories and philosophy deeply influenced Daniel Defoe’s adventure novel, Robinson Crusoe and the development of English government after Glorious Revolution.
Locke becomes one of the greatest English empiricists by sharing his philosophy to the public. Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) comes out as his monumental work …show more content…

In a great English novel, Robinson Crusoe, Defoe expresses an extraordinary adventure story with building impressive characters and plots, in which he embodies Locke’s philosophy of the state of nature and human understanding. Crusoe becomes frustrated and terrified when he finds a strange human footprint in the sand. He runs with full speed back to his fortification where he calls it as a castle. “In some convenient place, with my three guns all double-loaded; and in the middle of their bloody ceremony, let fly at them, when I should be sure to kill or wound perhaps two or three at every shoot; and the falling in upon them with my three pistols and my sword, I made no doubt but that if there was twenty I should kill them all. (170)” The appearance of a cannibal’s footprint makes Crusoe consider how he can save himself from the savages by killing them all with his arms, for they may visit his land and destroy all of his possessions in the future. It reflects the right of property of Locke’s philosophy, in which a man owns the property if he improves it the most, moreover, if a man’s property falls in threaten, he can do whatever necessary to protect his life and belongings. However, after a long time of designing schemes against the cannibals and spying on their daily entertainments, Crusoe finally alters his opinion of attacking the …show more content…

Crusoe saves Friday, a native from the island, who becomes Crusoe’s friend and assistant. Crusoe persuades Friday to convert to a Christian, but he does not force Christianity on Friday: “It was remarkable too, we had but three subjects, and they were of three different religions. My man Friday was a protestant, his father was a pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a papist: However, I allow'd liberty of conscience throughout my dominions: but this is by the way. (244)” Crusoe accepts his subjects have different religions under his domination. The idea of religious toleration is derived from John Locke’s philosophy in which individuals have rights to believe in any religions they want and no one can force any kind of religions on

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