Bøker av John Locke

John Locke, the English philosopher considered to be the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers, never married or had children. Despite this, in 1684 his friends Mary and Edward Clarke asked him for advice on how to raise their son. In response, Locke composed a series of letters to them that outlined his philosophy of education.In 1693, encouraged by the Clarkes and by his friend William Molyneux, he compiled the letters into a single treatise. This treatise, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, went on to become the most influential works in educational philosophy in England for over a century, and was so influential on society as a whole that some critics consider it to be equally as important as his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. The Thoughts went through at least fifty-three editions in the eighteenth century alone, and inspired a movement for childhood education then-unheard of in Europe, ultimately resulting in the popularization of Victorian public schools.In the Thoughts, Locke advocates a practical education for a child consisting of exposure to foreign languages, gentle introductions to topics like reading and mathematics through game-like approaches, physical training and exercise, and rhetoric, all delivered by a competent and dedicated tutor. He placed the instillation of a sense of virtue as one of the most important parts of a complete education.Education was to be administered through gentle encouragement focused on the child¿s natural interests, and tempered with both shame and a feeling of awe for the parent. He argues that much of a child¿s social education is received at a very young age from their peers and the society around them; thus, controlling the societal influences around the child is of paramount importance. All of this was starkly opposed to the then-common theory of education through rote repetition, enforced with beatings.Some Thoughts Concerning Education¿s influence continues to the modern day, where its principles and techniques are embraced by Montessori-style education, and even television shows like Sesame Street.

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The Second Treatise of Government is one of the most important political treatises ever written. The principles of individual liberty, the rule of law, government by consent of the people, and the right to private property are taken for granted as fundamental to the human condition now. Most liberal theorists writing today look back to Locke as the source of their ideas. Some maintain that religious fundamentalism, "post-modernism," and socialism are today the only remaining ideological threats to liberalism. To the extent that this is true, these ideologies are ultimately attacks on the ideas that Locke, arguably more than any other, helped to make the universal vocabulary of political discourse.

" This Treatise, which is grown up under your lordship¿s eye, and has ventured into the world by your order, does now, by a natural kind of right,come to your lordship for that protection which you several years since promised it. It is not that I think any name, how great soever, set at the beginning of a book, will be able to cover the faults that are to be found in it. Things in print must stand and fall by their own worth, or the reader¿s fancy. But there being nothing more to be desired for truth than a fair unprejudiced hearing, nobody is more likely to procure me that than your lordship, who are allowed to have got so intimate an ac- quaintance with her, in her more retired recesses. Your lordship is known to have so far advanced your speculations in the most abstract and general knowledge of things ,beyond the odinary reachorcom mon methods, that your allowance and approbation of the design of this Treatise will at least preserve it from being condemned without reading, and will prevail to have those parts a little weighed, which might other- wise perhaps be thought to deserve no consideration, for being some- what out of the common road. "

"The Second Treatise of Government" by John Locke is a classic work of political philosophy that explores the nature of civil society and government. Published in 1689, this treatise remains a cornerstone of modern political thought, influencing the ideas behind the American Revolution and the development of modern liberal democracy. Locke's writing is characterized by clear, concise argumentation and a commitment to the principles of individual liberty, consent, and property rights. He argues that government is established to protect the natural rights of its citizens, and that it is the responsibility of the people to ensure that their government operates justly and within the bounds of the law. Whether you are a student of political science, a historian, or simply someone interested in the foundations of modern democracy, "The Second Treatise of Government" is a must-read. Its enduring relevance and the profound impact it has had on modern political thought make it an essential addition to any library.