The Journey of John Locke (1632-1704)

John Locke believed in the principle of private property.

Aside from politics and philosophy, Locke also had contributions in the fields of education and medicine. He grew up in an Anglican-Puritan family who instilled early grains of thought about a sense of responsibility towards other people; this, however, did not inspire him to turn into a devout follower of his family’s religion. Locke’s lawyer father likewise emphasized the value of education that somehow motivated him to earn college and postgraduate degrees in mid-1650s (Encyclopaedia Britannica 12).  

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679): His Life and Some Ideas

Thomas Hobbes viewed human nature as violent.

A political absolutist, Hobbes is described as among the proponents of liberalism. His father, also named Thomas, was a vicar in England who left his children in the care of their rich paternal uncle. This episode somehow echoes the five adjectives he used to depict the nature of human beings – “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Pratt 1). It also forebodes his idea that the right and need for security is an individual’s primary concern which only an authoritative body or the monarchy could provide (Encyclopaedia Britannica 970).