Locke's Emphasis of the Importance of Human Freedom - Research Paper Example

Critical Analysis of John Locke Outline I. Introduction The section contains some background information on John Locke. It points the most important beliefs that John Locke is known to have believed. It ends with the introduction of the thesis statement. Thesis Statement: Locke uses philosophy, religion and politics to emphasize the importance of human freedom. II. Analysis of Literary Works In this section, the paper analyzes the two most notable literary works of John Locke. A Concern for Human Understanding and Treatises of the Government are discussed in details. The discussion includes analysis of the motivating principles and the styles adopted by John Locke in his work. The section relates the stand that John Locke take in his writing to the concept of freedom III. Conclusion The paper ends with a clear conclusion that supports the thesis statement. Introduction John Locke (1634 -1704) is one of the most influential minds that ever existed. The power of Locke’s mind can be seen in his works concerning the human understanding, the role of the government among many others. (BookRags) Locke’s date of birth was on the twenty-eighth day of August in the year 1634 (Woolhouse 10). He belonged to a developed family with a father who was an attorney in the local government. John Locke was lucky to receive diverse education from the time he was a kid. Locke’s father used connections to get him into Westminster School Boys, which was a very prestigious school at that time (Woolhouse 10). The paper critically analyzes the works and thoughts of John Locke with the aim of understanding the way he viewed the world. John Locke was a passionate advocate for human freedom, which is evidenced by the ideas and notions he presents in his literary works. Locke uses philosophy, religion and politics to emphasize the importance of human freedom. Analysis of Literary Works A critical analysis of all the literary works of John Locke reveals a persistent support for freedom (Delaney 23). John Locke played a very significant role in the development and growth of liberalism. The varied nature of Locke’s educational background gave him the opportunity to view the world from an empirical perspective supported by the religious tenets that advocate for the natural law of God. All through his life, Locke endeavors to explain the power of an independent mind. He openly criticizes the church and the government that attempts to take away the fundamental freedom of acting independently from the people. One of the notable literary works of John Locke was An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. The essay touches on the foundations of philosophy be questioning how human beings think. It touches on the use of language for self-expression, religious practices and logic. In the beginning part of the book, Locke gives a detailed narration of the circumstances that led him to the current philosophical mode. He posits that he realized that human beings struggled in their search for knowledge because they cannot fathom that the mind has limits. In Book 1, Lock presents the philosophical goals that he intends to achieve. These goals include the need to discover where ideas emanate, to comprehend why people have ideas, what it means to have them and the essential components of an idea (BookRags). At this point, Locke disregards the previous school of philosophy that maintained a belief in the priori. According to Locke, human beings are born with a blank mind, and there is no innate knowledge. Locke brought a paradigm shift in philosophy by moving from metaphysics to the fundamentals of epistemology (OBrien 687). He is concerned with understanding how the human mind acquires and retains knowledge. The move to reject the belief in the priori is one of the most influential innovations made by John Locke. He introduces the concept of tabula rasa, which posits that human beings are born with a blank slate. The slate is filled with information as one starts to have experience in life. The essay presents formidable arguments to argue against the existence of innate knowledge at birth. For example, the existence of innate knowledge implies that the human race has universal beliefs, which is not the case. However, the model of knowledge that he presents to replace the belief in priori also has its shortcoming. The new model emphasizes experience is the first requirement for the attainment of new knowledge. It does not assess the role of the mind in the whole process. The model does address the existence of knowledge and its ability to be remain in the mind. Locke does address how the mind works to combine different experiences and come up with a rational interpretation. In the essay, Locke believes that “simple” is the fundamental component of the human understanding (Delaney 42). He claims that people can break down all experiences into the simple essential components that are cannot be broken down into any smaller components. The Corpuscular Hypothesis advanced by Robert Boyle has a significant impact on the work of John Locke. He uses the hypothesis to explain the role of secondary and primary qualities in human beings. According to Locke, there is no basis to consider secondary qualities because everything can be explained using primary qualities. He explains an idea by connecting its meaning to perception and thinking. An idea is the object of perception and thinking in human beings. The essay presents confusing ideas on the idea of essence and its influence the functions of the human mind. It seems the whole idea of the essay is to drive towards a philosophical understanding of the mind as a free agent. In the essay, Locke presents an interesting discussion of liberty and freedom (Brubaker 208). He discusses the freedom of the will and the agent. According to Locke, power is something that has ability to influence a specific change in the world. The two kinds of powers that are in existence are the passive and active powers. The powers of heat and cold are the passive powers. Passive powers do not require any internal motivation. The only things with active powers are the agents. It is because they possess the ability to move. It seems the underlying motivation of Locke’s philosophy is the thorough understanding of the human mind. The concepts presented seem to point towards the freedom associated with the mind. The concept of liberty allows human beings to perceive themselves as free agents. Locke’s understanding of freedom is evidenced by the point he gives to explain the existence of free will. According to Locke, freedom, is compatible with determinism (BookRags). The will is a notion of liberty that pushes one to act according to his/her preferences. Locke believes it is stupid to discuss the freedom of the will. Instead, one should think about the freedom of the individual who has a will. The freedom of will and agents is brought by the example of a man who is carried into a room where his friend is resting. The man wakes up to find his friend. The man is ecstatic to see his friend and begins to talk to him. Meanwhile, someone decides to close the door without the man and his friend knowing. At this point, the man has no need to leave the room even though it has been locked. He is happy to stay and talk with his friend. The essay is written from the perspective of someone who has decided to investigate philosophical issues behind the human understanding of liberty, idea and knowledge (BookRags). The perspective allows him to cite ideas from other renowned thinkers without relying on them for answers. Instead, he focuses on developing his practical knowledge. The perspective taken makes Locke’s work unique. The tone adopted by Locke in the book makes it engaging and fun to read. He adopts a conversational tone, which makes it seem like the author is explaining everything face to face (BookRags). In effect, it is easy to relate to the concepts presented in the book. The language use has been kept simple to make it interesting to all readers. The other important aspect of style in Locke’s work is the structure. The structure is the division of the book into four parts. The book uses a direct structure, which is easy to follow. It helps in increasing the flow of the story and concepts presented in the book. Each section builds on the previous section and introduces a new point. The Two Treatises of the Government is where John Locke handles the concept of the government. The first treatise is a strong criticism Patriarcha, which was presented by Robert Filmers. The Patriarcha supports the idea that Kings possess divine rights. According to Locke, the stand taken by the Patriarcha is wrong because it implies that everyone should be a slave to the Kings who are born naturally (Grant 610). Locke opposes the idea because he believes everyone has a purpose. John Locke believes that all people have the ability to govern him/herself according to God’s law. Locke wrote the second treatise to present a solution to the political upheaval that was destabilizing England. The second treatise is the reason John Locke is considered the father of liberalism. Locke perceives political power as the right to implement laws that aim to protect and regulate property. The effectiveness of the laws depends on whether people accept them or not. All human beings are obliged to follow the law of nature. However, everyone has the freedom to do whatever he wants with his possessions. No one should be allowed to go against God’s will by harming other people. The harm can be in the form of abusing one’s liberty, taking his possessions or compromising the life of someone. An analysis of the second treatise reveals that Locke values freedom and peace. The work was written with the hope that it would help challenge the popular notion, which viewed Kings as divine beings. According to Locke, governance boils down to the protection of property. He believes that human beings are bound to enter into conflicts because of their nature. However, it does not mean that conflicts should always lead to war. There are many ways for people to settle conflicts without unsettling the peace. According to John Locke, the property protection is the main driving force in the formation of societies (Brubaker 207). These people can decide to let go of some natural rights to a central authority, which has more power to protect property. Locke is a proponent of a justified coup. A government that does exists to serve the people should be overthrown. The establishment of the legislature and the executive is to ensure both arms of government monitor each other. The executive and the legislature can all be replaced if they do not exist to fulfill their mandate. Liberalism is the major school of thought that is evident in most pieces written by John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and the Two Treatises of the Government possess underlying thoughts that support liberty. John Locke’s acknowledgment of religion was also supported by his support for freedom. In the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695), Locke presents his perception of Christianity. In his writing, he shows fears for the authoritative rule of the clergyman, which threatens to take away the fundamental freedom accorded the natural law (God’s law). The emphasis on human freedom is echoed by Locke’s writings on religious tolerance (Van Der Schaar 41). The world is a place where all human beings can exist peacefully by creating boundaries and accepting differences. Locke’s support for religious tolerance was influential in separating the church and the government. In the Letter Concerning Toleration (1689-1692), Locke writes on the need for the government to respect the freedom of religion. The government should have grounds to suppress the beliefs that disrupt public order. It should be noted that John Locke does not say he approves of other religions. Conclusion In conclusion, John Locke was a man who believed strongly in human freedom and liberty. He is a renowned influential philosopher and political theorist from England. Locke was inspired by friends and experiences to formulate theories on philosophy and political governance (Woolhouse 39). The consistent motivation in all the written works of John Locke are guided by the desire to support human freedom (BookRags). Locke studies philosophy in an endeavor meant to understand the human mind. He tries to understand the human nature and uses the knowledge to formulate a governing system. He uses a conversational tone to make the reading easy and fun. Some of the concepts advanced by John Locke are confusing. The concept of the essence in the An Essay Concerning Human Understanding does not have an adequate explanation. The study of philosophy, religion and an understanding of politics helped in promoting the concept of human freedom. Works Cited BookRags. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding - Book II, Chapters 16-33 Summary & Analysis. n.d. Web. 10 April 2015. Brubaker, Stanley C. "Coming into Ones Own: John Lockes Theory of Property, God, and Politics." Review of Politics. (2012): 207-232. Print. Delaney, Tim. The March of Unreason: Science, Democracy, and the New Fundamentalism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print. Grant, Ruth W. "John Locke on Customs Power and Reasons Authority." Review of Politics (2012): 607-629. Print. OBrien, John. "John Locke, Desire, and the Epistemology of Money." British Journal for the History of Philosophy (2007): 685-708. Print. Van Der Schaar, Maria. "Locke on Judgement and Religious Toleration." British Journal for the History of Philosophy. (2012): 41-68. Document. Woolhouse, R S. Locke: A Biography. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print. Read More