John Locke

3 Pages 650 Words

To Whom It May Concern:
My name is John Locke, the year is 1672, The Enlightenment Era if you will, my friend Anthony "Ashley" Cooper who has been known as the first Earl of Shaftesbury, a Lord of the realm was just appointed the Lord Chancellor and he has given me the opportunity to become very influential and serve as the secretary of a very powerful board. I have accepted this offer only because this was a payment for a medical service that I had provided for the Lord. I enjoy being called “Dr. Locke” which makes me wish that I would have finished my studies of medicine. I appreciate the concept of learning and although this is true I feel more comfortable being viewed as a philosopher writer rather than an educator. The period of time is very interesting, political fortunes shift in and out which has sent Shaftesbury to Tower many times. I don’t subscribe to the Divine Right Theory of the law so I am forced to eliminate myself from this situation by escaping these surroundings. I am leaving to learn abroad in France and Holland until the political foes are over or until they don’t affect me as much. Don’t get me wrong I defend the intention that government rests on popular consent and rebellion is permitted when government undermines the ends for which it is established, meaning that the protection of life, liberty, and property are the essential items that the government must provide and protect. Public welfare is what makes the government necessary; this belief is established in my book Two Treatises of Government. An important philosophy, worth mentioning, that I have come up with over the years is that in order to achieve the ends man gives up, in favor of the state, a certain amount of his personal power and freedom. This philosophy is something that I stand by. I also believe that man must provide for themselves a time for refreshment. A man’s production levels increase tremendously when they are given the opport...