John Locke's Philosophy

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John Locke was born in 1632. He earned his bachelor’s Degree in 1656 and a master's degree in 1658. In 1690 Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding appeared. From this came Tabula rasa. This then laid the foundation for environmentalism. Locke was an English philosopher who was regarded as one of the “most influential of enlightenment thinkers” and “important to social contract social” (Wikipedia). Locke died in 1704 never being married or having children. His theories are a part of what we practice today.

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding is a set of four books and within this is “extremely long and detailed theory of knowledge starting from the very basics and building up.” (SparkNotes Editors, n.d.) In these four books is where Locke states his blank tablet views. The blank tablet is a belief that when we are born our minds are blank and as we grow environment and experience create our mind. Locke did say some knowledge is in the mind at early ages, but are started in the womb…

…“for instance, differences between colors or tastes. If we have a universal understanding of a concept like sweetness, it is not because this is an innate idea, but because we are all exposed to sweet tastes at an early age” (SparkNotes Editors, n.d.)

Through this writing and others just as insightful John Locke became one of the most influential thinkers and a great political theorist. Within Locke’s writings came the term Tabula Rasa.

Tabula Rasa is a theory that we are born with no knowledge and that knowledge comes from experience and environment. A persons sensory experiences form the rules for processing starting at birth. Each person is “free to define the content of his or her character” (Wikipedia). Our thoughts com...

... middle of paper ...

...f his theory to education” (Early Childhood Education Today). John Locke was a great philosopher who wrote An Essay Concerning Human Understanding in which Tabula rasa appeared and this then laid the foundation for environmentalism. Which I believe to something that affects us all.

Works Cited
Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1992), pp. 647-668

(article consists of 22 pages)

(Morrison. Early Childhood Education Today, 11th Edition. Pearson Custom Publishing 13.5.3).

SparkNotes Editors. (n.d.). SparkNote on Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/

Tabula rasa. (2010, March 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:54, March 15, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tabula_rasa&oldid=347737376

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