Natural Law

Essay text:

He argued that humans in the state of nature are free and equal, yet insecure in their freedom. When they enter society, they surrender only such rights as are necessary for their security and for the common good. He also believed that each individual retains fundamental prerogatives drawn from natural law relating to the integrity of the person and property. This natural rights theory was the basis of not only the American, but also the French revolution. 1 During his lifetime, he wrote many essays and letters to his colleagues on a variety of topics:2 ? Letter on Toleration (1689) ? Second Letter on Toleration (1690) ? Two Treatises of Government (1690) ? Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) ? Some Considerations of the Consequences of Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money (1691) ? Third Letter on Toleration (1692) ? Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) ? Further Considerations Concerning Raising the Value of Money (1693) ? The Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) ? A Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) ? A Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) ? A Letter to the Bishop of Worcester (1697) ? Discourse on Miracles ? Fourth Letter for Toleration ? An Examination of Father Malebranche's Opinion of Seeing All Things in God ? Remarks on Some of Mr Norris's Books ? Conduct of the Understanding Locke's greatest philosophical contribution is his Essay Concerning Human Understanding...