Martin Luther vs. John Locke

John Locke (1632-1704) was a British philosopher, Oxford academic and medical researcher, economic writer and political activist. His ideas had enormous influence on the development of epistemology (study of knowledge) and political philosophy (reflection on issues belonging to collective life -- economy, society, form of government, etc.), and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers, classical republicans, and contributors to liberalism by delimitating the State from the Church. His writings influenced many Enlightenment thinkers such as French philosophers Rousseau and Voltaire, as well as the American Revolutionaries. This influence is reflected in the Declaration of Independence.

Martin Luther (1483 -- 1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation that represented the birth of the Protestant religion with its many denominations many of which still exist today. This movement started as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church. As a priest and theology professor, Luther tackled the Church's practice of selling indulgences (forgiveness of sin awarded by Catholic priests) in his 95 Theses in 1517. He argued that forgiveness could not be bought with money, and that it could only come as a result of the relationship between God and the sinner. His writings were very controversial, and because he did not want to obey Pope Leo X and retract them, he was excommunicated and condemned as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

I believe that Martin Luther had a more profound impact on world history because the Protestant Reformation opposed the corruption that had taken over the Catholic Church. Luther taught that salvation comes from God, and that only through faith can a sinner be redeemed, and also narrowed down the number of sacraments. Moreover, he translated the Bible to German which made it more accessible to the common people who did not speak Latin which in turn contributed to the development of a standard version of the German language.