John Locke

John Locke was born to John Locke and Agnes Keene in Wrington, Somerset, England. His father was a country lawyer and clerk to the Justices of the Peace in Chew Magna, and his mother was a pious and industrious woman.

At the age of 15, John Locke was sent to Westminster School in London, one of the most prestigious schools in England, where he received a classical education and was exposed to the works of ancient philosophers.

Locke entered Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied a wide range of subjects including medicine, philosophy, and science. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1656 and a master's degree in 1658.

Locke met Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, and became his personal physician. This relationship marked the beginning of Locke's involvement in political and philosophical circles.

Locke was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, a prestigious scientific organization, recognizing his contributions to the fields of medicine and natural philosophy.

Locke began drafting 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,' his most famous work, which would later be published in 1689. The essay laid the foundations for empiricism and the theory of knowledge.

Following the failed Rye House Plot, Locke fled to the Netherlands to avoid political persecution. He spent several years in exile, continuing his philosophical work and corresponding with friends and colleagues.

Locke published 'Two Treatises of Government,' which argued against the divine right of kings and laid the groundwork for liberal political theory, advocating for the separation of powers and the social contract.

Locke's 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding' was finally published, presenting his empiricist theory of knowledge and the idea that all knowledge is derived from experience.

John Locke died at the home of his close friend Damaris Cudworth Masham in Oates, Essex. His philosophical and political writings had a profound impact on the Enlightenment and the development of modern liberal democracy.