Are Classical Ethical Theories still Relevant Today on the Works of Locke and Hume - Assignment Example

  First, Locke is believed to be the precursor of American values because his naturalist ethics was the philosophical basis of the Declaration of Independence of which this country was built.  Hume, on the other hand, is selected because of his ethical concept of “what to be” or what is the ideal as contained in his famous work “A Treatise of Human Nature”.  He is also naturalistic just like Locke and such, would make a good case whether their ethical theories are still valid today.

  It is important to examine the validity of their theories because modern ethical theories are built on their philosophical theories.  If proven otherwise, it would imply that current literature about ethics will fall on academic musing that does not hold validity in the real world.  If they are, then the works of this philosophers should be made more familiar to the modern student. As a starting point of research about the related literature of the topic, it would be appropriate, to begin with, David Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature which was published in 1739.

  It would also be appropriate to examine in detail the contents of the Declaration of Independence on how closely it relates to Locke’s ethical theory and whether modern Americal values are still consistent with that perspective of morality.  In the process, several literatures related to the subject shall be considered such as the works cited below which more than adequately explain the ethical theories of Hume and Locke