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John Locke
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What is John Locke?

John Locke (1632–1704) is one of the most studied political and philosophical thinkers in the Western tradition, appearing frequently in courses on political philosophy, the history of ideas, American history, and ethics. His foundational arguments about natural rights, the social contract, the limits of government authority, and the origins of private property have made him essential reading for understanding liberalism and constitutional thought. His Two Treatises of Government provides the conceptual vocabulary — life, liberty, property, reason, and consent — that anchors most academic discussions of his work. Students are drawn to Locke because his ideas connect directly to real political institutions and ongoing debates about individual rights and the role of the state.

Papers on this topic take several distinct approaches. Comparative essays set Locke's epistemological concepts, such as primary and secondary qualities and abstract ideas, against those of other thinkers like David Hume. Historical and contextual analyses examine his influence on the Restoration period and the American Founding. Policy-oriented essays connect his theory of natural rights and government by consent to later frameworks, including John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, tracing how Lockean ideas evolved into modern theories of justice and individual liberty.

A strong essay on Locke requires a precise, arguable thesis rather than a broad survey of his entire philosophy. Evidence drawn directly from the Treatises or his epistemological writings carries the most weight. The most common pitfall is treating Locke's ideas as self-evident background rather than as claims that require critical examination and historical context.

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Paper Undergraduate

John Locke's theory of property and labor in the Second Treatise

Property is any tangible or intangible entity that someone or a group of people can own. This implies that the owner of the property has all the rights to sell, consume, transfer, or rent the property. The state recognizes this person's possession of property and protects his or her interests. The paper explores Karl Marx and John Locke's notions of property ownership.

Paper Doctorate

Ethical standards and unsuitable applicants in nursing programs

Ethics in Nursing Introduction Every professional in the field of healthcare has a special responsibility and obligation to treat patients with care and dignity – and at all times there should be an ethical approach as well. Nurses, too, is a vitally important component of healthcare, are nurses are certainly bound by ethical rules and values, and this paper delves into the various aspects of ethics in nursing. Ethics and Nursing "Codes of ethics refer to systems of rules and principles by which a profession is expected to regulate the moral behavior of its members and demonstrate its responsibility to society" (Numminen, et al, 2011, p. 710).

Research Paper Doctorate

The creation and historical significance of the U.S. Constitution

The United States of America is the land of the free spirit, a land where the brave and the worthy can lead lives of their choice, free and unfettered. The government that rules this country is based on the U.S.

Research Paper Doctorate

Enlightenment social contract theory and the development of civil society

The ideas to create just and liberal society go all the way back to ancient times. The first examples of civil society were proposed by Plato and Aristotle, who saw the ideal state to be a republic ruled by the wise men…

Research Paper Doctorate

Liberal philosophy and U.S.-Canadian border security threats

¶ … security of the U.S. And Canadian border is in peril. There is an unprotected route allowing the free-flow of terrorists from around the world into Canada and then into the U.S.

Essay Undergraduate

Locke and Berkeley's contrasting theories of empiricism and knowledge

This article compares the philosophical views of John Locke and George Berkeley. The differences between the two men began while they were both alive and has continued to present day. The viewpoints of both men is examined and distinguished. A choice is made to argue that Locke's views are more firmly based and have more relevance to modern day life.

Essay Doctorate

The principle of sufficient reason in cosmological argument premises

The Principle of Sufficient Reason as developed by theorists and philosophers points out that for every event, existence, occurrence, if that event or occurrence took place and is real, they there must be a reason and proof for that occurrence to be real. More precisely, the theory appeals to the need to explain and justify different events in history that in fact took place and therefore there must be sufficient explanation for why such an event or logic took place or is real.

Research Paper Doctorate

Enlightenment influences on European criminal justice reform in the eighteenth century

This paper traces the history crime and punishment in Europe. It looks at the influences of that time the social and philosophical movements and how they affected the whole evolution of treatment of crime and the…

Research Paper Doctorate

Power in modern and postmodern thought: Hobbes, Weber, and Foucault

There are certain things that we all know, but cannot describe: Love is one of these things, as is Power. Power, like Love, exercises a mysterious control over all human relationships, over all human endeavors.

Research Paper Doctorate

Walter Berns on the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

The underlying position of Walter Berns' book, Taking the Constitution Seriously, is that the philosophical foundations that were infused into the Declaration of Independence were directly responsible for the ultimate…

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