The Mind of John Locke

This is a complex study of how Locke's wider interests connected with his political thought.

John Locke (1632–1704) is a central figure in the history of thought, whose vision spanned questions concerning Christian worship, ethics, political economy, medicine, the human understanding, revealed theology and education. By connecting these wider interests with his political thought, this volume offers an integrated study of the mind of John Locke.John Locke (1632–1704) is a central figure in the history of thought, and in liberal doctrine especially. This major study brings a range of his wider views to bear upon his political theory. Every political theorist has a vision, a view about the basic features of life and society, as well as technique which mediates this into propositions about politics. Locke's vision spanned questions concerning Christian worship, ethics, political economy, medicine, the human understanding, revealed theology and education. This study shows how the character of these wider concerns informed Two Treatises of Government, especially in respect of a view of divine teleology, and situated a distinctive view of politics which treated the state and the church in parallel terms.