The Blocks of Humanity of John Locke

1265 Words3 Pages

According to Steven Pinker, “The strongest argument against totalitarianism may be a recognition of a universal human nature; that all humans have innate desires for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The doctrine of the blank slate...is a totalitarian dream” (Brainyquotes). John Locke who was a political writer, an Oxford scholar, medical researcher, and physican. He was widley known as the philospher that challanged the flaws of humanity. Being so widely known as an excellent writer in the 17th century, in his piece An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke confronts the flaws of humanity. As a result of being a great writer and philosopher Locke was also raised in a very wealthy setting. Being that he was raised in a very wealthy setting Locke challenges the flaws of Humanity. Through his piece An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke further challenges these flaws but connecting them to his basis of religion, the time he spent in exile in Holland, and being a well known philosopher.
Blank slate; purity; cleanliness these are the three pieces that John Locke describes in his essay An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. John Locke who was a well known philosopher implements blank slate because he reveals that for innate principles were the building blocks of humanity. Locke was overt about innateness of moral principles. For he once said, “Conscience no proof of any innate moral rule” (Locke Bk 1. Ch 3.par 8). Locke explores the concept of innate principle by portraying that the rights of citizenships should not be based upon morals, but based upon a persons own thinking. In the article John Locke, Property Rights, and Economic Theory, the author contributes, “What is not arguable is that some portion of t...

... middle of paper ...

...d by:
Palgrave Macmillan Journals. JSTOR. Web. 9. December. 2013
Mark Knights Past & Present No. 138 (Feb., 1993), pp. 94-111 Published by:
Oxford University Press on behalf of The Past and Present Society conrad Henry Moehlman The Journal of Religion , Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr., 1938), pp. 174-182
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
David C. Snyder Journal of the History of Ideas Vol. 47, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1986), pp. 197-213
Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press
Pinker, Steven. BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Walter M. Simon The American Political Science Review , Vol. 45, No. 2 (Jun., 1951), pp. 386-399
Published by: American Political Science Association. Web.JSOTR.10.Dec.2013
Philip Milton The Historical Journal , Vol. 43, No. 3 (Sep., 2000), pp. 647-668
Published by: Cambridge University Press. JSTOR. Web. 10. Dec. 2013

Open Document