Book description
John Locke was one of the greatest figures of the Enlightenment,
whose assertion that reason is the key to knowledge changed the face
of philosophy. These writings on thought, ideas, perception, truth and
language are some of the most influential in the history of Western
thought.
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have
transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have
inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened,
outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and
destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great
thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook
civilization and helped make us who we are.
John Locke (1632-1704) was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and held
various academic posts at that university, lecturing on Greek and
rhetoric. However, his interests lay in medicine and the new
experimental sciences and in 1667 he became personal physician to the
Earl of Shaftesbury. Under the influence of Shaftesbury, Locke developed
his ideas on politics, property, trade, monarchy and the mind.
Shaftesbury became a bitter opponent of Charles II and was involved in
the plot of 1683. This forced Locke to flee in exile to Holland, but he
returned after 1688 and began to publish his most famous works. He wrote
also on theology, education, and in defence of religous tolerance, while
founding the analytic philosophy of the mind.
