Ls312 Unit 2 Philosophycal Theories

John Locke (1632-1704) completed his philosophical studies at Oxford University and previously studied medicine. He served as private physician and as secretary to Anthony Ashley Cooper (the first Earl of Shaftesbury and one of the Lord Proprietors of the Carolina Colonies); relationship that led him to an exiled period in Holland during the 1680s, after the “Glorious Revolution of 1688” he held various minor governmental offices. Locke was a friend of Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle, and early member of the Royal Society. He studied and wrote on philosophical, scientific, and political matters during his life, but the public works for which he is best known were published in a single, sudden burst (philosophypages.com, 2012).

“The fundamental principles of Locke's philosophy are presented in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), the work of twenty years of reflection on the origins of human knowledge” (philosophypages.com, 2012).

“The Essay brought great fame, and Locke spent much of the rest of his life responding to admirers and critics by making revisions in later editions of the book, including detailed accounts of human volition and moral freedom, the personal identity on which our responsibility as moral agents depends, and the dangers of religious enthusiasm. One additional section that was never included in the Essay itself is Of the Conduct of the Understanding, a practical guide to the achievement of useful beliefs about the world” (philosophypages.com,2012).

“By contrast, Locke chose to avoid controversy by publishing his political writings anonymously” (philosophypages.com, 2012).

Locke philosophy explained that our decisions or ideas are based in our experiences, which I agree due to the reason that after getting experience at work by solving problems, we will be capable of taking more accurate decisions making us more professionals at the work fields. For example when we see the news at the New York Times “Obama’s Pledge to Reform...