"The great and chief end, therefore,
of men's uniting into commonwealths and putting themselves under government
is the preservation of their property."
| John Locke, (1632-1704), was born
in Bristol, England, on August 29, 1632. Locke entered Oxford University
in England and was influenced by John Owen, Dean of Christ Church College.
It was Owen who first introduced Locke to the idea of religious freedom
and the idea that people should not be punished for having different views
of religion. Locke believed that all sides had the right to be heard.
After college, Locke continued to study and read with passion. He
expressed his views about freedom of religion and the rights of citizens.
In 1682, his ideas were seen by the English government as a challenge to
the King's authority. He fled to Holland, and then returned to England
in 1689 after the Civil War in England. Shortly thereafter, Locke
began publishing his writings, many of which focused on the government.
Throughout his writings, Locke argued that people had the gift of reason,
or the ability to think. Locke believed people were born with the
natural ability to govern themselves
and to look after the well being of society without being manipulated. |