John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRSwas an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism". Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Sir Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social contract theory. His work greatly affected the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American revolutionaries. His contributions...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth29 August 1632
It is ambition enough to be employed as an under-labourer in clearing the ground a little, and removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way to knowledge.
The great art to learn much is to undertake a little at a time.
The chief art of learning is to attempt but a little at a time.
I attribute the little I know to my not having been ashamed to ask for information, and to my rule of conversing with all descriptions of men on those topics that form their own peculiar professions and pursuits.
Man is not permitted without censure to follow his own thoughts in the search of truth, when they lead him ever so little out of the common road.
Power to do good is the true and lawful act of aspiring; for good thoughts (though God accept them), yet towards men are little better than good dreams, except they be put in act; and that cannot be without power and place, as the vantage and commanding ground.
Reading furnishes the mind only with material for knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.
We just want to show the people of this town what the benefits are.
Nobody is going to let anybody's children play on something that is unsafe. There is just no way.
Nature never makes excellent things for mean or no uses.
Man... hath by nature a power .... to preserve his property - that is, his life, liberty, and estate - against the injuries and attempts of other men.
There being nothing more evident than that creatures of the same species should be equal amongst one another without subordination or subjection
No man's knowledge here can go beyond experience. (An Essay concerning Human Understanding.)
It is so vital to everybody who has a stake in the downtown. It is vital to anyone who lives here. It is going to put us on the map.