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John Locke Facts & Worksheets

Born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, Somerset, John Locke was an English philosopher, Oxford academic, political theorist, and medical researcher, whose works centered on modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism.

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Born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, Somerset, John Locke was an English philosopher, Oxford academic, political theorist, and medical researcher, whose works centered on modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. He was also a known figure during the Enlightenment Age and had various contributions to politics, governance, epistemology, and education.

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Key Facts & Information

PERSONAL LIFE AND EDUCATION

  • John Locke grew up in Wrington, a village in the English county of Somerset. His father was a country lawyer and a military captain, who served for the Parliament during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s.
  • Due to the connections of his father, Locke entered the elite Westminster School in 1647, where he became a King’s Scholar honoree, which also helped him to enrol at Christ Church College, the University of Oxford in 1652.
  • During his stay at Oxford, Locke studied logic, metaphysics, and classical languages.
  • He graduated in February 1656 and returned two years later to Christ Church for his Master of Arts.
  • By June 1658, he completed his M.A. and was eventually elected as a Senior Student of Christ Church College, which means that he was already a fellow of the Royal Society.
  • Following this, he was elected a Lecturer in Greek and a Lecturer in Rhetoric in 1660 and 1663, respectively.
  • He also immersed himself in medicine, which led him to become an associate of Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle, along with other Oxford scientists. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in medicine in 1674.
  • Locke died on October 28, 1704 in Essex at the home of Sir Francis Masham, where he spent most of his remaining years.

MEETING LORD ASHLEY

  • During his scientific pursuit, Locke met one of the richest men in England, Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper. Lord Ashley originally came to Oxford to meet Dr. David Thomas, Locke’s friend and collaborator, to drink some medicinal waters.
  • At the time, Dr. Thomas went out of town and asked Locke to deliver the medical waters to Lord Ashley. Shortly after, Ashley invited Locke to London.
  • In 1667, Locke moved to London and eventually became Ashley’s physician, researcher, secretary, political adviser, and friend.
  • The parliamentarian Anthony Ashley Cooper, who would later become the first Earl of Shaftesbury and the founder of the opposing Whig Party, was a great influence to Locke.
  • Following this, he lived at the Exeter House, Lord Ashley’s residence in 1668, where he led a successful operation on Ashley, thus saving the Lord’s life and making their friendship grow even closer.
  • In addition to this, Locke worked as secretary of the Board of Trade and Plantations and Secretary to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas.
  • Due to his position, Locke was able to gather information about England’s trade and colonies around the globe.
  • He also played a vital role in the writing of the fundamental constitution of the Carolinas.
  • After getting his license to practice medicine, following his graduation in 1674, Locke spent fifteen months in France, where he was able to learn about Protestantism there and developed the idea of religious toleration.
  • Meanwhile, Lord Ashley’s fortunes fluctuated and he was imprisoned in 1676, fled to Holland in November 1862, and eventually died in January 1863.

PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS

  • Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) was considered to be his greatest work, which elevated him as one of the first great English empiricists. This essay explained the limits of human understanding, which would be hugely influential to Enlightenment thinkers.
  • Consequently, this essay contains four books, where he thoroughly argued the nature and sources of human knowledge.
  • In Book I, Locke contended that humans have no innate knowledge, where the idea of the human mind being a tabula rasa (blank slate) at birth came to light.
  • In Book II, he emphasized that since the human mind is a blank slate, ideas as materials of knowledge only come from experience.
  • In Book III, Locke discussed the nature of language, its connections with ideas and its role in the acquisition of knowledge.
  • In Book IV, he asserted that the previous parts of the entire essay eventually lead to the explanation of the nature and limits of human knowledge, probability, and the relation of faith and reason.
  • In his other work, Two Treatises of Government (1690), Locke shared his philosophical views on government. His theory here was mostly influenced during his time with Lord Ashley.
  • The Treatises put forth Locke’s revolutionary ideas on the three natural rights of man (life, liberty, property) and the social contract.
  • His theories here outlined the foundations of American and French liberalism.
  • In his other work, Two Treatises of Government (1690), Locke shared his philosophical views on government. His theory here was mostly influenced during his time with Lord Ashley.
  • The Treatises put forth Locke’s revolutionary ideas on the three natural rights of man (life, liberty, property) and the social contract.
  • His theories here outlined the foundations of American and French liberalism.
  • In Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693), Locke advanced his concerns on the educational system of England in the seventeenth century.
  • Lastly, in his work, Letters Concerning Toleration (1689-1692), Locke provided an early model of the separation of church and state. While he put forward that freedom of religion should be respected by governments, he suggested that this freedom should only act as long as religious beliefs do not threaten public order.

John Locke Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the John Locke across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use John Locke worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about John Locke who was an English philosopher, Oxford academic, political theorist, and medical researcher, whose works centered on modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. He was also a known figure during the Enlightenment Age and had various contributions to politics, governance, epistemology, and education.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • John Locke Facts
  • Locating England
  • Find the Word
  • The Life of John Locke
  • The Notable Ideas of John Locke
  • The Writings of John Locke
  • The Treatises
  • Tabula Rasa
  • My Favorite Work
  • The Legacy of John Locke
  • In a Nutshell

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