John Locke was born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, England. He was raised by two Puritan parents: Agnes Keen and John Locke SR. His father was a lawyer and had to raise Locke alone after Keen died during childbirth. At the age of 20, Locke began studying medicine at Christ Church, Oxford in 1652. In 1668 he joined the Royal Society and worked under the Earl of Shaftsbury. He eventually became a well-known philosopher and political theorist and died on October 28, 1704. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Locke was nicknamed “The Father of Liberalism” for his belief in individual liberty and little government intervention in the lives of citizens. He focused heavily on studying the importance and capabilities of the human mind. Locke's philosophy on human nature differed from that of many other philosophers. The state of nature refers to the way people naturally existed before governments were established. Thomas Hobbes believed that humans were born with thoughts of self-interest and were inclined to do evil. Therefore, he conveyed the state of nature full of solidarity, fear, violence and death. Hobbes also argued that people can only achieve salvation through government keeping them under control. Jean-Jacques Rousseau completely disagreed with Hobbes' ideas. Rousseau argued that people are naturally good and innocent in the state of nature. Human beings are born with thoughts of compassion and love for their fellow man, but they have been corrupted by society. Compared to Hobbes and Rousseau, Locke's thinking in this regard falls somewhere in the middle. Locke believes that humans at birth have neither good nor bad thoughts. He stated that people come into the world with empty minds that fill with age. Education plays a crucial role in how children become adults. Locke points out that humans have the capacity to have selfish tendencies. However, he disagrees with Hobbes about the appearance of the state of nature. He describes life without government as good and peaceful. Most people did the right thing, honored their obligations, and kept their promises. John Locke was also a major influence in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. He rejected the idea that people became kings and rulers under the command of God. Locke argued that all are free and equal by nature. Since human beings were created free and equal, everyone had the same natural or individual rights. These natural laws included the right to life, liberty, and property. This was changed to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence. People cannot kill, steal or take away someone else's freedom. They are also not allowed to give up their rights to anyone. Locke states that people must only respond to the laws of God. Humans can do whatever they want if peace and the continuation of humanity are maintained. To do this, people must engage the resources God has provided for them. For example, a farmer must use a field to grow food to feed himself and others. This is where Locke's concept of private property comes into play. According to Locke, humans completely possessed their bodies. Therefore, anyone can gain ownership by creating a good or material through physical labor. A person who grows food or builds a wooden house will own the final product. However, there are a couple of restrictions on private ownership. No one may violate another person's rights by taking something from them.