John Locke

The philosopher who I chose involved with the Enlightenment was John Locke. He made many contributions pertaining to politics, government, and psychology. Locke first became interested in meteorology and experimental sciences. He turned to medicine, and then became a highly skilled practitioner of his day. Locke is widely known today for his contributions being a political philosopher. He preached a doctrine that men "naturally possess certain large rights." Those rights are to life, liberty, and property. He wrote a few paragraphs, that took him 20 years to finish, a great passage called "Essay Concerning Human Understanding." Locke encouraged his view that character formation is far more important than information and that learning should be pleasant. He will always be remembered and respected for his ideas and impact during the Enlightenment.