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Western Political Thought

Notes 7.1 Life Sketch

Locke was born in a Somerset village in England in the summer of 1632. His parents came from
Puritan trading and landowning families, and were sympathetic to the parliamentarians and the
Whigs during the Civil War. His father was a notary, while his grandfather was a tanner and
clothier. The family was not well-off. However, in later life Locke enjoyed sufficient income from
family estates, and was able to lead the life of a gentleman scholar. Locke’s father owned some
land and lived as an attorney and clerk to the justices of the peace in Somerset. Locke went to
Westminster School in 1647, and then enrolled himself in Christchurch College as a student in
1652 for 15 years till 1667. He continued to retain his links with Christchurch until 1684. After
graduation, Locke developed an interest in medicine. He completed MA in 1658, became a lecturer
in Greek in 1661, and a lecturer in rhetoric in 1663. In 1664, he became a censor of moral philosophy.
The only other political theorist who combined so many interests was Aristotle. From them, Locke
learnt a lot, including the important fact that for discovering the secrets of nature, sustained and
disciplined observation coupled with humility, patience and hard work were required. The
important Continental philosophers of the early scientific revolution, Descartes and Gassendi,
influenced him considerably. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1688. Locke’s first
works were written at Oxford, namely the Two Tracts on Government in 1660—1662, and the Essays
on the Law of Nature in Latin in 1664. In both these writings, he argued against religious toleration,
and denied consent as the basis of legitimate government. Both these early writings were published
only in this century. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1679) was forbidden as a text for
tutorial discussions in Oxford and its colleges.

Locke also participated in chemical and medical researches of eminent people like
Robert Boyle, Hooker, David Thomas, Richard Lower, Thomas Willis and Thomas
Sydenham.

In 1665–1666, Locke undertook a diplomatic mission to Cleves. Within a year of the meeting,
Locke joined Ashley’s household in London. This proved to be a turning point in Locke’s life. In
1668, Ashley underwent a major and difficult liver operation under Locke’s supervision, which
was successful against all odds. By 1679, Locke became a patron, political associate and friend of
the earl. For the next 14 years, till Shaftesbury’s death, Locke remained closely associated with the
earl, with his own fortunes rising and falling along with those of the earl. Locke was suspected of
being the author of A Letter from Person of Quality to his Friend in the Country. The pamphlet
angered the government, compelling Locke to make a hasty departure for France in 1675. During
this time he met French doctors, scientists, and theologians and befriended many of them. He
also translated some of Pierre Nicole’s moral essays. At the end of April 1679, he returned to
London. Philosophers travelled abroad to grasp the wonders of the world, and this was the case
with Locke too.

In 1666, Locke met—for the first time—Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, later the first Earl
of Shaftesbury, an important political figure in the court of Charles II.

From Shaftesbury, Locke learnt the intricacies and responsibilities of the state in the domestic
market and external commerce. He also realized that the primary responsibility of the state was to

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