John Locke: "Epistle To The Reader"
The history and philosophy lectures began by talking about the Italian Renaissance, which brought around the ideas of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato. During this time, Hobbes spoke about the state of nature and asked what the world was like before law and government, and concluded that society would disintegrate into chaos. At this time, nobody believed in government, but without a ruler the world would become so unbearable that the members of society would come together to elect a ruler. This was the beginning of the social contract, which was an agreement between the people and the ruler, allowing the ruler dictatorship.
Another important figure in our lectures is Descartes, known as the first "modern" philosopher. He believed that ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle were very influential. Descartes wanted to change intellectual society, and believed that some things wern't true, and so tried to develop a way that everything he believed was true, without any doubt. He came to the conclusion that when everything was stripped down, all that was left was the mind, and thoughts. Hence his idea: "I think, therefore I am" (cognito irgo sum). He also believed that he was inferior to God, and that an inferior being cannot have any concept of a perfect superior being, unless God had implanted the idea in us.
Next we come onto the philosopher that this week's lecture was based on John Locke -------------------------------------> He is considered to be a hugely influential writer, and is known to be the first empiricist. This means he values experience over innate ideas, as opposed to Descartes. Locke was very influential on political events following the publishing of his books. At this time, there were 2 ideas dominating policitcal thinking:
Catholic Kings believed in The Divine Right of Kings, as they believed they could do no wrong, as they had been chosen by God. However, others (including Hobbes) believed that the power should lie with the people, although agreed that the people needed a ruler, as without it, people's dominant passions will produce war.
Other philosophers had ideas on how to order society in a certain way. For example, More's Utopia.
The Social Contract was developed by Locke, so that the power rested with the people, but they give it up to a chosen leader.
Locke wrote "The Treatise of Government". The first treatise attacks the divine right of kings, on the basis that God gave Adam the power to rule. The second treatise focuses on the state of nature, and the idea that everyone enjoys natural freedom and equality, but obey natural laws. The laws of nature were moral laws which every man knew knew intuitively, i.e. the right to protect your property.
Locke also wrote "The Manual For Revolution", which was used in the American Constitution. Locke proposed a concept of government by consent and limited by law-it's powers mainly for the protection of property. He insisted that taxes could not be levied without the consent of the majority of society's consent. He believed that citizens could rebel if their Government ceased to respect the law-referring to the tyranny of James II. Therefore, Locke was suggesting that the right of revolution was one of the natural rights of man. Society gave the government power to help run society, but keep their human rights.
Locke believed our human understanding comes from our experience, which is worked on by our powers of reason to produce real knowledge. He was against "innate ideas". He thought that God had given mankind the ability to discover knowledge and morality so that innate ideas were not necessary.
Examples of innate ideas are:
- Plato's forms-the soul becomes aware of the forms and so had knowledge before birth.
- Descartes-immaterial soul with innate ideas imprinted by God.
However, Locke believed that before ideas are known, there is nothing in them in the mind but a capacity to know them. It seems that Locke has a lot of opposing ideas to Descartes, although they both believe that there is very little that we can know for certain.
According to Locke; when matters of faith go beyond reason and experience, individuals should be guided by private revelation which should never be imposed by the Church or State. Religion should be kept separate from the Government.
Locke saw his work as clearing the way for upcoming scientists such as Newton.
For those of you that are too bored to continue reading, check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOJnhRCzH90 for more information on Newton.
Newton achieved great things in his lifetime. Due to the plague, he left University for 2 years, where he discovered his law of gravity and 3 laws of motion, as well as inventing the infinitesimal calculus, and building the foundations of modern optics. After the plague, Newton returned to University, but did not tell anyone of his discoveries. He wrote a book in 1687, a mathematical demonstration of the Copernican hypothesis proposed by Kepler, which states that the Earth is not the centre of the Universe, but revolved around the Sun. For the first time, Newton convinced people that the world was ordered and knowable.
Newton said that natural philosophy can only demonstrate that a certain force operates on the world, not why. This idea was attacked by the Carthesians (followers of Descartes) as science should not make things up, it should admit ignorance when it does not have data. Newton also believed that the Universe demonstrated God's freedom and omnipotence.
very good summary of the story so far.
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