1632-1704. English philosopher. His Essay
Concerning Human Understanding 1690
maintained that experience was the only
source of knowledge (empiricism), and that
`we can have knowlege no farther than we have
ideas' prompted by such experience. Two
Treatises on Government 1690 helped to form
contemporary ideas of liberal democracy.
Locke studied at Oxford, practised medicine,
and in 1667 became secretary to the Earl of
Shaftesbury. He consequently fell under
suspicion as a Whig and in 1683 fled to
Holland, where he lived until the 1688
revolution. In later life he published many
works on philosophy, politics, theology, and
economics; these include Letters on
Toleration 1689-92 and Some Thoughts
Concerning Education 1693. His Two Treatises
on Government supplied the classical
statement of Whig theory and enjoyed great
influence in America and France. It supposed
that governments derive their authority from
popular consent (regarded as a `contract'),
so that a government may be rightly
overthrown if it infringes such fundamental
rights of the people as religious freedom. He
believed that, at birth, the mind was a
blank, and that all ideas came from sense
impressions.