Discussion Questions for Megan Boccardi's Sections
For this week, please read all of the required readings, however pay particular attention to Thomas Jefferson's, A Summary View of the Rights of British America, from the online reader and the selections from Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education and the Second Treatise of Civil Government in the Enlightenment Reader.
Consider the influence of Locke on Jefferson and the American Revolution. How did Locke impact the path of British colonies towards war? What role does Locke play in today's society?
Also consider both the American and British position in the years leading up the Revolution. What are the strengths and weaknesses of both sides?
Consider the influence of Locke on Jefferson and the American Revolution. How did Locke impact the path of British colonies towards war? What role does Locke play in today's society?
Also consider both the American and British position in the years leading up the Revolution. What are the strengths and weaknesses of both sides?
posted by Megan Boccardi at 2:10 PM
32 Comments:
I feel Locke had a very big influence on Jefferson and the American Revolution. Locke had very strong ideas on every on being equal. Lock says, "a state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than the other..." (Enlightenment Reader 395). Jefferson takes some of these ideas that we have our own rights and makes the arguement to the British leader that we were free even before we came over to America. Locke persuaded America that we all have our own rights and that everyone is created equal. Many of these ideas which he expresses cause the British to become angry, which are some cases that lead up to the war. Both the British and America were strong leading up to the war in that they both had good armies and were good strong nations.
Locke was one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. Locke in the “Two Treatises of Government” stated that the divine right of Kings was wrong, and that government was not ordained by God, but rather by the people. He stated that the government was an institution set up to benefit the people and their rights. Locke believed that all people were naturally free, and that the purpose of a government should be to instill that freedom, rather than condemn it. These evolutionary ideas played a very large role in the American Revolution. Jefferson believed in what Locke thought, and wanted to create a free world. Jefferson used these ideas as ammunition in the American Revolution.
- Moira Evens
Locke's essay "Some Thoughts on Education" was extremely influential through out the eighteenth century, especially in America, where it was said to be a guide on “how to breed” children. Locke’s approach to education was quite revolutionary to the norm of that time period. Locke suggests that punishment for a mistake in education should not be to extreme for he finds “those children who have been most chastised, seldom make the best men.” Furthermore he believes that “the only care is, that it be begun early” so that a learning is engraved into the child’s mind so that “there appears not the least reluctancy in the submission and ready obedience of their minds.” These are just a few of the examples of what Locke believed about education, but overall his ideas were new, highly effective, and greatly accepted.
-Danny Wiele
Locke advocated a system of checks and balances for the government so that it would keep each section from becoming more powerful than the others. This was highly considered when the founding fathers created the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence. Locke’s writings discussed how all people were equal and independent, and none had a right to harm another’s “life, health, liberty, or possessions.” This played a large role in the response of the colonies to Britain’s sudden surge in power and control, which seemed to threaten the liberty, and possessions of the colonists. When Britain began placing troops in the houses of colonists it truly upset the balance between the colonies and England. The taxes placed on the colonies also were something that led politically philosophical leaders to turn to Locke’s work and develop a new system of government that would reflect upon the concerns of the colonists. All of Locke’s ideas seemed to drive the political leaders of the colonies to decide that something needed to be done to settle the disagreements between England and the colonies, this eventually resulted in war. Some may blame Locke for this violent outcome, but he was truly just a thinker whose ideas were used to create a new nation.
-Billy Kowalski
Locke layed out the foundation for independent thought prior to the Revolution. He defined every man's equal "state of liberty." Locke wrote that every man is free to do and act as he pleases, and not only that but he has certain rights that he is entitled to. These rights are life, health, and liberty. Locke stated that it is natural to be governed as long as the governing body does not harm any of these rights. He went further to state that no man should be oppressed by "superior power" or "legislative authority." This includes slavery and tyranny.
These ideas influenced Jefferson to discuss that the original inhabitants of America were very independent and were "free inhabitants of the British dominions." Jefferson also mentioned that America had the right to trade freely among the world and should not be restricted by England's "spirit of tyranny." It was these ideas of unbiased freedoms and rights that led Jefferson to speak out and pushed the colonies toward the Revolution.
It is also these ideas of freedom and liberty that entitle citizens today to rally over the slightest injustice.
Many of Locke's ideas paved the way for the way our country runs today. He thought the devine right of kings was wrong and that government should be more about the people than god as stated in Second Treatise of Civil Government. Locke believed that the government should allow the people to be free, not keep them from being free. Locke also believed in equality and he also developed a type of government with checks and balances in order to assure that one branch did not get too powerful.
-Doug Smith
Locke's ideas and beliefs truly influenced those of Jefferson, and, in turn, helped lead the way to the American Revolution. Locke believed that all men are "equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions" as he states in his Second Treatise of Civil Government. He believed that one should protect his possessions, which included his liberty, with all his power. He also believed that a revolution was not only a right for men but also a necessity if the need for it is strong enough.
These sorts of ideas clearly influenced Jefferson, and the American Revolution which was all about gaining natural rights back for the people in British America from the government in Great Britain. As Jefferson wrote in Summary View of the Rights of British America, the laws that Great Britain were putting against the men in the British colonies were "acts of power, assumed by a body of men, foreign to our constitutions, and unacknowledged by our laws", and although the Prime Minister, or King, has taken over the law himself and committed these acts against the men in America "he has done it by force, but let him remember that force cannot give right." These ideas stated by Jefferson and enforced by the Revolution can easily be connected to Locke's original ideas and show how his beliefs helped lead the men in British America to consider leading a revolution to gain their own rights, which they deserve to have.
Like mentioned before, John Locke can be credited for coming up with many of our countries beliefs that we live by today. For example equality when he says, “A state of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another” which clearly explains that not one person should be treated as better than another. Like most of the society today he puts God above all when he says how people are to follow the rules unless decided different by God. Also Locke stated that the commonwealth determines punishments that people commit. These are some of Locke’s ideas that exist to this day.
-corey mueller
As many people have already posted on the blog, I shall repeat once more; Locke was a man of equality. He believed that all men are “equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions” (Second Treatise of Civil Government). Jefferson was influenced by Locke’s ideas and beliefs which allowed him to gather his own ideas to use as protection against the British during the American Revolution. The American Revolution was a war fought for American independence. Jefferson helped save America from the British King and acts of powers. According to the Summary View of the Rights of British America, Jefferson reminded the chief magistrate of the British empire, that before their emigration to America our ancestors were the free inhabitants of the British dominions in Europe, and possessed a right which nature has given to all men. Clearly, the inhabitants came to America for independence from their King. With victory of the American Revolution, Locke developed a type of government that involved checks and balances. This government kept the different branches equal in power. This type of government is still used today and reminds us of Locke’s importance.
Reading John Locke’s ideas on education really hit home with me. I found it odd before recent time that someone actually thought of not punishing children with a rod, but rather giving children treats and incentives in teaching ethics and with schooling. He believes that more punishment with the rod can only lead to a downward spiral (continuing as the child grows with time). Locke tells not to crush a pupil’s spirit, but to embrace a young boy’s youth and energy using this to help educate him. Saying that if a child likes candy, do not deny him that and give it to him when he acts well or does well in his studies. For a when a child creates a bond with his instructor he can learn better, rather then worry about always being whipped.
I feel that American society has taken well to these beliefs; however some suggestions Locke mentions seems to have escaped us and found a home in Europe. Such are his ideas on how to teach young children foreign languages, for the sooner they can fluently say them the better off they will be. Locke believes we should first learn languages speaking them as often as possible, and then worry about the grammar.
Locke goes on to say all is possible for anyone and that no matter what your father does or your social class you should have the privileges of learning all that one can. And one should try to use these stills throughout life and continue learning for knowledge retained will end up being a great tool.
Peter Wiegert
Locke defined the "right of kings" because he was trying to prove that the government was not ruled by god. He presented a new way of thinking for people and introduced the idea that all men were naturally free and that government should be encouraging the idea rather them destroying it. Jefferson agreedwith the thoughts. Locke's ideas motivated Jefferson to fight for these causes in the American Revolution. Locke's ideas helped the British colonies push toward war because they did not believe in his ideas. Locke's ideas are still used in todays society! Our government is not controled by god and all men have equal rights.
Locke believed that a man must work for what he can call his own. The king of England as Jefferson wrote, did not work for what he “owned”. The people labored and created their own government, and the King gave new laws and rejected the colonists because he felt he was more entitled to call the land his own, when in reality it was more the colonist’s because they worked for it-they were the laborers. Locke stated, “…he hath mixed his labor with, and joined it to something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property”. The colonists worked to created their own society, so thus it was theirs alone and they could do with it what they pleased. Because the colonists believed they were being treated unjustly, and they believed it was their land, not the kings, they could break away from the mother country.
The role that Locke plays in today’s society is the idea that everyone is an individual and needs to be treated fairly and be able to grown up in a non-brutal and highly structured manner. He believed that man must work for what he wants in order to call it his own. We today also value that idea.
Basically everyone is saying the same thing so I guess ill just fit right in..Locke was a man of equal liberties. He wanted everyone to treat each other equally, he believed that no one should hurt one another and let everyone believe in what they wanted to believe in. Even though a utopia is impossible Locke would have liked it much better if the country could have been much closer to one. It was these cause that we fought to defend the colonies in the American Revolutionary war.
Locke was a libertarian and he defined "self" as a conscious thinking thing. He believed that the conscious controlled everything that was effective in a person's life. Therefore, to keep all of society happy, he believed everyone had to be free to make their own decisions. This led the colonies to the war because it brought objection to the throne and introduced the concept of individualism and doing what you want to do. He led the colonies into the French and American revolutionary wars.
Cherice Jones
John Locke has had a lot of influence on modern and colonial society. During colonial times, he influenced the colonists that all people were equal and deserved the same rights. Because of this, the colonists believed that they deserved the rights that Britain was holding from them, and in turn, abusing. This lead to rebellion from Britain and eventually revolution. These days he inspires the thought that all minds are "blank slates" and are molded by their surroundings, in the nurture vs. nature argument.
Locke did not believe in the Devine right of kings, but that the people ran government was to protect the natural freedom and equality of all. His beliefs and influences helped start the fight against the British during the revolutionary war as well as set the guidelines that we still have in our government today. Our countries government is ran with checks and balances, insuring that no one part of the government overpowers the other and has laws protecting individual freedoms, that Locke believed in many years ago.
Locke brought a new idea to the people and a new way to live their lives. Instead of living through the Devine right of kings, he thought that everyone should all live in a place with equal rights and equality. He believed that everyone were born and should be able to live freely, and that the government should be influencing this idea rather than ignoring it. Locke's ideas of equal rights and freedom for all the people were so influecing, today's America is still using it.
-Joey Huynh-
John Locke believed that the King of England was a tyrant. Locke believed in hard work and wanted to make that a reality. The king had wanted the colonists lands that they themselves worked hard for. “…he hath mixed his labor with, and joined it to something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property” was stated by Locke. The king had no right to take their lands that they had so brutally worked over and controlled. Locke believed that the colonists should control what they work with, not some king who lives across the ocean.
Locke believed that today, people should use their independence and able to own what they worked so hard for. He believed that the government cannot posses something that one works and owns himself. That is seen today, as the government cannot take away personal property.
SInce Locke believed in equality, and said that every man was created equal, his beliefs reflected his actions and thoughts. When Locke spoke of religion, he said, "No man can, if he would,conform his faith to the dictates of another (enlightment reader 83)." He believed that every man should believe what they want based on what they know and are tought. Each person has the right to make their own dessisions. This gave many men the idea that what they believed was in higher athority and better thinking than that of the british government. So in turn, many men revolted and tried to over turn the britich government. Locke, I believe, did have a very important impact on Jefferson. Many of Jeffersons beliefs steamed from those of Locke especially when looking at the actions Jefferson took when it came to the american revolution.
Locke believed that the king of England was unjust in trying to claim the colonies as his own. locke believed that eveybody should have equal rights and work for what they own and the king of england did not work for what he owned. the colonists on the other ehnd did work for what they owned, they are the ones who used the lands to farm and to create businesses not the king. this disagreement is what led to the war and is hat gave the colonists an excuse to break apart from the king.
Nicholas Wood
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Basically Locke states everyone is born on an equal level. This is upsetting to England an especially the king because it pretty much says the divine right to be king is bs. Locke’s ideas on government were that its power comes directly from the people and not from god. So if a government fails to represent the people it is support to serve then the people have the right to end that government. He also views child rearing as suppose to be meant to produce a reasoning, functioning adult. Not just to beat them till they obey and don’t bother you. These ideas were taken to heart by Tomas Jefferson and became some of the founding principals of America.
John Locke was influencial because he believed heavily in equality of all man/woman. His ideas clashed with those of England who still believed in the divine right of man. Locke believed that power came dirtectly from the poeple and not from God. His thoughts and ideas also influenced Jefferson and the American Revolution because it was about gaining the rights of the people back from the government of Great Britain. Most of his ideas about equality of man are stated in The Second Treatise of Civil Government however this was not his only work that was infuluencial. Some Thoughts Concerning Education were just as influencial and controversial because Locke believed that child-rearing was not the correct way to raise children but rather the goal was to rationally createa self controlled, productive person.
I believe that Locke comes up with some of the most influential thoughts of revoultion era. He feels very strong in the equality of men and women, which are somethings that we live by today also. I believe that Locke started to push some people in opening their eyes to other ways than that of the British which Jefferson also realized eventually making the British government upset helping the cause of the war.
Locke's ideas play a large role in our society today. In "Locke on Education" Locke mentions the use of rods in schools or schooling, and how they were worthless in teaching a lesson. Locke said that a rod would only contribute to the downward spiral of the child, and teach him no lesson but that of violence! Locke also said that if you bribed a child with sweets, or other luxurious rewards it could cause the child to depend on those luxuries for happiness. So in the end Locke promotes the kind of school system that we have today that does not support the beating of children and does not give out cars for every right answer!
Locke believed that all men were equal and independent. He had a great many beliefs about people and their property. He associated property with anything that one put in labor to attain or achieve. Therefore, if one's own labor achieved something, the government would not have the right to take that away because it was solely his property.
Finally, and most importantly, was Locke's intense belief that a government should help to keep people free and equal, not take away liberties and enslave people. Locke's strong belief was what Jefferson based his beliefs and arguments on during the American Revolution. Locke rejected the idea of "divine right of kings" and stated that if the people were unhappy, and if the king was not representing all of his people, the citizens would have the right to overthrow that power of government. The totality of Locke's ideas caused Jefferson to take action!
Locke's ideas helped paved way for our freedoms we still use today. his influences on Jefferson created rights in the constitution and are still intact today. His beliefs that all men are equal and had certain rights are fond to every US citizen. his breakaway from that of the old English style created freedoms for everyone around the world
Locke has influenced our society in ways that we still live by today. Locke believed that everyone should be free to make their own decisions and have their own beliefs. He felt that people should work hard for what they owned unlike the King who took land away from the colonists for himself when he did not work for. Jefferson bought in to Locke's ideas and that caused him to help fight in the war. Many colonists felt the same way. His views are still visible in today's society as all men and women have equal rights. Also hard work is valued in wanting to purchase things that you want.
Brandon Wiest
Locke set many standards that many Americans value and live by today. These values influenced Thomas Jefferson and indirectly influenced the path of British colonies towards war. He believed in the equality of men instead of the Devine Right of King, which means the power of the government comes directly from the people. This idea did not settle well with the beliefs of the British. People gaining back their rights and freedom from England ultimately became one of the biggest driving forces of the American Revolution. Locke also implemented the system of checks and balances, making sure that no single branch of government became too powerful. This is also another way that Locke’s ideas affects today’s society.
-Matthew Vlach
John Locke has played a large role in the society we see today. Many of his beliefs hundreds of years ago are still followed today. One of his main arguments in “Some Thoughts Concerning Education” is his opinion against strict punishment of children. He states it does little good and in fact it causes great harm in education. Locke believes those who have been punished the most will not make the best people. He also states not to reward children too much either because they will expect a reward every time they do that activity. In “The Second Treatise of Civil Government,” Locke stated people deserve equality with no one having more power than their fellow peers. Men should be free from any superior power and should not be under the authority of others. He stated this in response to slavery and thus was one of the early people to go against slavery. On the political side of things, Locke believed every man was free, equal and independent. No one should have less political power than others, unless consented such as in the democracy we see today. The beliefs of Locke can be seen throughout the Constitution of the United States. Locke also impacted the path towards war. With many of his beliefs such as equality among all people, it went against the England way. However, without these beliefs, the United States may not have been the same as it is today.
Locke had a decent influence on Jefferson and the American Revolution. Jefferson used many of lockes ideas in creating the new government. Locke was big in men and women having equal rights which went against the European thoughts of divine right and the power of Man given by God himself. His views led the colonies torward war because they liked the thoughts of self governing and no rule from the king. The role of Locke is large in america today. We have self government with a democracy and people have the same rights as any other.
Many views that Locke had are still present today. I think Locke would not be happy with our government today. He believed that the people should have more of an impact in our government and the laws passed. Congress no longer has the American people in mind. locke's views are more passive as well. he likes the idea of revolution but he does not like the fighting that would go along with it. Kyle Whitehead
Locke believed that government was in place with the purpose to protect the individual. He believed that the government was not ordained by god but rather the people in order to protect their rights. He also believed that education in society should produce a functional individual rather than a robot. His beliefs were very popular in america and still are practiced today.
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