JohnLocke:

ATeachersGuide
Source:http://www.npg.org.uk

Preparedby

FelipeCortez

JohnLockeintheStandards................................................................2
BiographicalSummary.........................................................................3
InterpretationsoverTime....................................................................5

RecommendationsforTeachers..........................................................7
SelectAnnotatedBibliography............................................................8
AbouttheAuthor...............................................................................10
Inconjunctionwiththe4thAnnualSummerHistorySeminar,sponsoredby

www.utep.edu/chtl
June2009
Maybecopiedforincidental,noncommercial,andeducationalpurposes

JohnLockeintheStandards
[Backtocontents]

Texas 113.33.c.16.B (World History Studies)

Government. The student understands the process by which democratic-republican government evolved. The student
is expected to: identify the impact of political and legal ideas contained in significant historic documents, including
Hammurabi's Code, Justinian's Code of Laws, Magna Carta, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, and the
Declaration of Independence.

Texas 113.35.c.2.A (United States Government)

History. The student understands how constitutional government, as developed in the United States, has been
influenced by people, ideas, and historical documents. The student is expected to: analyze the principles and ideas
that underlie the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including those of Thomas Hobbes, John
Locke, and Charles de Montesquieu.

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BiographicalSummary
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EarlyLife
JohnLockewasbornAugust29,1632,inSomerset,EnglandanddiedOctober28,1704,
inEssex,England.Hisfather,alsonamedJohnLocke,wasaParliamentarianlawyer,andhis
motherAgnesKeenwasthedaughterofatanner.BothofhisparentswerePuritan.Because
hisfatherwasalawyerandattimesajudge,Lockewasalwaysaroundpolitics.In1647,Locke
wassenttoWestminsterSchooltoobtainhisformaleducation.In1652,hecontinuedhis
highereducationatChristChurch,Oxford.WhileatOxfordhestudiedlogic,grammar,rhetoric,
allsortsofphilosophyandeventuallymedicine.AtOxfordheearnedabachelorsdegree,a
mastersdegreeandfinallyaBachelorofMedicinedegreein1674.

AMoveTowardPolitics
In1666JohnLockemetLordAshley,firstEarlofShaftesbury,whenthelatterwas
seekingmedicalattention.LockemadesuchapowerfulimpactonShaftesburythathedecided
tohireLockeashispersonalphysician,eventhoughLockehadnotfinishedhisstudies.This
relationshipwouldprovetobeadefiningrelationshipinLockeslife.ItlaunchedLockeintoa
worldofnobilityandpolitics.TheirrelationshipwouldlastfortherestofShaftesburyslifeand
bythetimeShaftesburydiedin1683,LockehadusedhisacquaintancewithShaftesburyto
makeanameforhimself.
ItwashisfriendshipwithShaftesburythatunlockedopportunitiesforLocke.Forone
thing,itwasLockesferventconversationswithShaftesburyandwithhisteacherThomas
SydenhamthatprovidedmuchofthematerialforhismajorworkAnEssayConcerningHuman
Understanding.
In1683attheageof50JohnLockewentintoexile.Thiswasbecauseofhisconnection
toShaftesburyandfiercecriticismsLockehadagainstKingJamesII.Lockewouldremaininexile
inHollandforfiveyears,andduringthistimehewasabletocomposemostofhistwogreat
works.

LifeAfterExile

Uponreturningfromexile,andinthecompanyofthenewQueenMary,Lockewas
finallyabletofulfillhislifelongwork.WiththegoodfavorofthemonarchyLockewasableto
devotemuchofthenexttwoyearstohiswritingandin1690,LockepublishedhistwoworksAn
EssayConcerningHumanUnderstandingandTwoTreatiesonCivilGovernment.Followingthe
publicationofthesetwoworksLockecontinuedtodevotetimetopolitics,writingand
medicine.Overthenextdecade,Lockewouldtoilawayandwouldcontinuetoworryaboutthe
legacyofhistwogreatworks.JohnLockediedOctober28,1704,inEssex,England.

Writings

In1690,attheageof57,Lockepublishedthetwoworksthatwouldultimatelyearnhis
reputationasaphilosopherandasapoliticaltheorist.Thefirstoftheseworks,AnEssay
ConcerningHumanUnderstandinghelpedshapetheensuingschoolofBritishEmpiricismby
expoundingavariantformofhowhumanslearnideas.AccordingtoLocke,allhumansareborn
withablankslateasamindanditisthroughexperiencethatwegettheknowledgeofideas.

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JohnLockeisbestknowninhistoryclassroomsforhiscontributiontopoliticaltheory.It
isinthisareathathewrotethesecondofhistwoinfluentialworks,TwoTreatiesonCivil
Government.ThisworkplaysaformativeroleinthefoundationoftheUnitedStates
democraticideals.Aspreviouslynoted,thisworkisaproductofitstimes.TwoTreatiesisa
workwritteninthecontextoftherevolutionof1688.Itiswrittentojustifytheoverthrowingof
KingJamesII.Becausehelivedinatimeofpoliticalinstabilityandupheaval,Lockeisableto
drawonmuchofhislifesexperienceinpoliticstowriteabookthatwouldresonatewellinto
1776and1787.Themainargumentoftheworkisthatgovernmentisthederivativeofa
naturalstateofmankind,butpeoplearestillbornwithandshouldmaintaincertainnatural
rights.ThisisallstatedinthesecondbookoftheTwoTreaties.Theworkbeginswitha
hypotheticaldepictionofthestateofnature.Thisstateisananarchicstate,asitexistsinatime
beforegovernment.Whilethereisnoonepersonorgroupofpeopletogoverntheactionsof
others,menarestillnotfreetodoastheywish.AccordingtoLocke,thereexistsamongstthis
groupanaturallaw.However,notallmenadheretothisnaturallaw,orunderstanditcorrectly.
Ittakestheformationofagrouptoprotecttherightsownershipofpropertyandliberty.Locke
believesthatgovernmentsareformedforthispurpose.

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InterpretationsoverTime
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JohnLockecanbestudiedwithintwomajordisciplines.Inthefieldofphilosophy,the
focusonJohnLockeishowhisideasevolveovertime.Inotherwords,thehistoriographyof
JohnLockeinthefieldofphilosophywouldinvolvealookintoLockestheoryofepistemology.
Itwouldthentracehisphilosophicalideasoverthelastcouplecenturiesandhowtheyare
appliedtodifferentsystemsandhavebeeninterpretedbydifferentphilosophers.Forexample,
ahistoriographicalpaperinphilosophymightshowthatLockeisusedbyImmanuelKantinthe
18thcenturytoexplainhowthehumanmindcategorizesobjects,orhowAlfredAyerinthe
twentiethcenturycontinuedtheBritishempiricisttraditionpioneeredbyLocke.

AviewofthehistoryofLockeanliteraturecanalsobeobtainedfromthefieldofhistory.
SuchaviewwouldlookatJohnLockesphilosophyandhowithasbeeninterpretedovertime,
butthefocusofsuchataskwouldbetolookathowJohnLockeasapersonandasapolitical
theoristisseenovertime.ThetaskofthisstudyistoexaminethehistoricalworksonJohn
LockeandintheprocessdiscoverhowinterpretationsofLockehavechangedovertime.

HistorianMauriceGranstonbeginshisintroductionbyinformingthereaderthatin1948
allofJohnLockespersonalpapersweresoldtoOxfordandfinallymadepublic.Untilthispoint
onlyoneotherLockehistorianhadbeengivenaccesstothesepapers,buthewrotean
inconsequentialbook.Thoughfewothershaveseentheseletters,nonehavewrittenanything
thatcomesclosetoarevolutionarybiographyofLocke.ThisseemstobeGranstonsgoal.He
tellsthereaderthathisendeavorbeganin1948assoonastheseletterswherereleasedand
thattheyweretheprimarysourceforhisbook.Hegoesontoexplainthewealthofinformation
thatahistoriancangetfromthethousandsoflettersintheOxfordcollection.

WhatcomesoutofthisprojectisahighlydetailedlookintothelifeofJohnLocke.
Granstonleavesnothingoutofthisnearly500pagenarrativeofJohnLocke.Granstonincludes
adirectquotefromaletteroranexcerptofafinancialrecordineveryotherpagethatletsthe
readerknowthathisbookhasbeenthoroughlyresearchedandcanbeconsideredareliable
accountofthelifeofJohnLocke.However,thisworkseemstosacrificefluidityandprosefor
thesakeofaccuracyanddetail.
Inher1996workJohnLockeandAmerica,historianBarbaraArneilgivesthereadera
morehistoricalaccountofJohnLockeandhisexploitsintotheAmericas.Forexample,itis
ArneilthattellsusthatLockehadmultiplebooksfromexplorerscomingtoAmericaandthat
Lockeprobablymodeledhisviewofthestateofnaturefromthoseworks.Arneilalsotellsus
thatJohnLockehadpersonalinterestvestedinthesuccessofthecolonies.Lockewasissued
4000estatesoflandintheCarolinasinacharterfromtheking.InherworkArneilisgivingusa
holisticviewofJohnLocke.Hewasnotjustsomegreatthinker,buthewasamanofhistimes
andamanwhowasverymuchinvolvedwiththeissuesofhistime.Lockewasnotjustsome
intellectualwhoworriedabouthowknowledgecametobeinourbrains,hewasalsoashrewd
businessmanwhoknewthathiswritingswouldbereadbypeopleinpower,thekindsofpeople
hewishedtoimpress.

ThisviewofJohnLockeisverydifferentfromthepopularviewofLocke.WhileJohn
LockehasalwaysbeenknownforhisinvolvementinBritishpoliticsandhisinfluence,post
mortem,overAmericanpolitics,thenotionthatLockewaspersonallyinvolvedincolonial

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affairsisrarelydiscussed.ArneilattemptstogiveLockeamorehumanappeal.Hewasnotonly
ascholar,buthewasalsoabusinessmanwhomighthavebeenwritinginordertopleasethe
peoplewhoalreadygavehimland.

OxfordUniversityPressbeganpublishingaseriesofshortbooksentitledAVeryShort
Introduction.FortheirrepresentationofLocke,theychoseapreviouslywrittenbookbyLocke
expertJohnDunn.DunnhadbeenwritingaboutJohnLockesincehis1969workThePolitical
ThoughtofJohnLockeandhasmadeacareerofwritingaboutLocke.His2003workJohnLocke:
AVeryShortIntroductionofthepreviouslymentionedseriesisarewritteneditionofaprevious
Lockeworkofhisthathepublishedin1984.Itisinterestingtonotethatintheintroduction
Dunntellshisreaderthathewillnotchangeanythingabouthisoldbook.Althoughhehas
workedonresearchofJohnLockesincethenhestandsbytheimagehecreatedofJohnLocke.
ThisisaveryinterestingpointaboutLockescholarship.Ithascometoastandstillasfarasthe
historicalperspectiveisconcerned.WhilephilosophyisstillfascinatedwithLocke,historians
seemmoreinterestedwiththeproductofLockesworksthanwiththemanhimself.

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RecommendationsforTeachers
[Backtocontents]

LessonPlans

PowertoLearnLockeLesson(PowertoLearn),grades712
AbriefoutlineforalessononintellectualinfluencesoftheDeclarationof
Independence.Thislessonisdesignedforhighschoolstudents.

YMCAleadershipLesson(UniversityofVirginia),grades712
Acompletelessonforhighschoolstudentsdesignedtoteachthevariousaspectsof
LockesphilosophyandhisinfluenceonAmericanpolitics.Thislessonhasisfullofuseful
informationandexamplesofhowLockestillinfluencesgovernmentandhasprimary
sourcesincluded.AmustseeforacomprehensiveLockelesson.

Websites

Annonymous,TheInternetEncyclopediaofPhilosophyJohnLocke,2006.
AgenerallookatLockeslifeandwritings.

DiscoveryStreaming
AwebsitewithanumberofLockevideos.JusttypeinLockeinthesearchspaceand
numerousshortvideoclipsonJohnLockewillpopup.
*Youwillneedtologinwithapaidsubscription.*

WilliamUzgalis,StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophyJohnLocke,2009.
AnoverviewofLockesphilosophybyoneofthemostcompletephilosophywebsiteson
theweb.

AdditionalResources

JohnLockesManuscripts
AwebsitewithletterstoandfromLocke,achronologyofhislife,abibliographyofLocke
sourcesandalinktoadditionalresources.

JohnLockesWorks
AwebsitewithLockeswritingsonline.ItincludesreferencesandlinkstootherLocke
sources.However,mostofthelinksareunreliableanddonotwork.

JohnLockeIndex
AnotherwebsitewithLockeswritingsonline.

PhilosophypagesLockeSite
AbriefoverviewofJohnLocke.Abittoobrief.

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SelectAnnotatedBibliography
[Backtocontents]

PrimarySourceMaterials

Locke,John.AnEssayConcerningHumanUnderstanding.NewYork:Oxford,2008.

Locke,John.TwoTreatiesofGovernmentandALetterConcerningToleration.NewYork:Yale
UniversityPress,2003.
JohnLockesmajorworksinwhichheproposesandexpandsonhisideasconcerning
epistemology,politics,government,andmorality.Theyarethebasisforunderstanding
LockesthoughtandhisinfluenceinAmericanpolitics.

FulllengthBiographies

Arneil,Barbara.JohnLockeandAmerica.NewYork:Oxford,1996.
Arneilwritesaboutthebrief,butpowerfulinteractionsthatJohnLockehaswiththe
Americancolonies.ThefocusofthisworkislessintherevolutionaryideasofLockes
work,butthesmall,butinfluentialconnectionsthatLockehadwiththecolonies,
includinghispoliticalandeconomicinterestinthecolonies.

Dunn,John.Locke:AVeryShortIntroduction.NewYork:Oxford,2003.
ThisworkbyDunn,originallypublishedaspartofaseriesofbiographies,is,asitstitle
claims,ashortandconciseintroductionintothelifeandworkofJohnLocke.Theworkis
brokenupintothreeeasilyreadablesections,andatjustover100pagesthis
introductionisbothaseriousadditiontoLockescholarshipandabookthatateacher
canuseforahighschoolorcollegelessonofLocke.

Huyler,Jerome.LockeinAmerica.Lawrence,Kansas:UniversityofKansas,1995.
Inthiswork,HuylerlooksfirstatJohnLockesphilosophybeforeputtingitintothe
contextoftheAmericanexperience.Huylerdoesthisbylookingatthehistoriographyof
Lockeanliteratureandtryingtoeithervalidateornegatewhatprevioushistorianshave
saidaboutJohnLockeandhisinfluenceinAmericanpolitics.

Granston,Maurice.JohnLocke:ABiography.London:Longmans,GreenandCo,1957.
ThemostdetailedofJohnLockesbiographies.Becauseofitsreleaseshortlyafter
Lockespapersweremadepublic,thisbiographyofferedthenewestLockeinsightatthe
time.Itgoesintoallsortsofdetailabouthispersonallifeandincludesmanyprimary
sources.

Woolhouse,RogerS.Locke:ABiography.NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress.2007.
ThisbookofferssomeofthemostrecentLockescholarshipdonebyanauthorwhohas
alreadyproducedLockeliterature.Thisbookisacomprehensiveanddetailedlookinto
thelife,withsomementionofhisworks.Thegoalofthebookistogivethemost

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detailedlookintothelifeofamanwhoisnotknowsomuchforwhathedid,butfor
whathewrote.

ArticleorChapterlengthBiographicalSketches

Stumpf,SamuelE.andJamesFisher.EmpiricisminBritaininSocratestoSartreandBeyond.,
NewYork:McGrawHill.2003.250273.
SocratestoSartredevotestenpagestoanindepthlookintoJohnLockesphilosophy.
ThefocusofthebookisthecontentofLockeswork,especiallyAnEssayConcerning
HumanUnderstanding,inordertoenlightenanybeginnerinphilosophy.Thebookputs
LockeinthecontextofBritishEmpiricismandconsidersLockethefounderofsuch
philosophicaltradition.

Stangroom,JeremyandJamesGarvey.JohnLockeinTheGreatPhilosophers:FromSocrates
toFoucault.,NewYork:MetroBooks.2007.4851.
ThisbookoffersaswiftoverviewofJohnLockeslifeandideas.Becausethesectionis
onlyfourpageslong,thisbooklacksdetail,butdoesagoodjobinestablishingthe
foundationofLockesbeliefandbrieflyexplainshispoliticalandsociallifewithinthe
contextofpoliticalupheavalofhisday.

JuvenileBiographies

Faiella,Graham.JohnLocke:ChampionofModernDemocracy.NewYork:RosenCentral,2005.
Aneasytoread,yethighlydetailedandinformativesummationofJohnLockeslifeand
work.Thisbookiswrittenatamoderatelevelandcanbeusedbystudentsinmiddle
school,highschool,andevencollegestudentswhohaveneverbeenintroducedto
Locke.

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AbouttheAuthor
[Backtocontents]

FelipeCorteziscurrentlyateacheratAmericasHighSchoolandanMAstudentatthe
UniversityofTexasatElPaso.HereceivedaBAdegreeinhistoryandphilosophyfromBaylor
Universityin2007.SomeofhisinterestsincludephilosophicalinfluencesoftheAmerican
Revolution,historyofAmericanthought,andexistentialism.HelivesinElPasowithhiswife
LaurenanddaughterJocelyn.

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