John Locke
Know the limits of our knowledge and power.
English philosopher and physician John Locke investigated the origin of ideas, limits of knowledge, toleration and government based on consent. His work shaped liberal thought; its religious exclusions and his connections to the colonial economy also require critical examination.
How can we know and govern without claiming unlimited power?
Biography
English philosopher and physician John Locke investigated the origin of ideas, limits of knowledge, toleration and government based on consent. His work shaped liberal thought; its religious exclusions and his connections to the colonial economy also require critical examination.
02 /Philosophy
Ideas arise from sensation and reflection on the mind’s operations rather than innate principles.
03 /Reading guides
Original introductions to enter the works, discover their central questions and take the reflection further.
04 /Bibliography
Works, testimonies and further readings are distinguished. Dates refer to composition or first publication, as specified in each entry.
A first reading.
From experience to ideas
Read the Essay by distinguishing sensation, reflection and limits of knowledge.
An Essay concerning Human UnderstandingConsent and property
Examine rights, power and appropriation in the second treatise.
Second Treatise of GovernmentToleration and exclusions
Read the Letter by confronting principles with historical limits.
A Letter concerning Toleration