The Essential John Locke

No single individual is ever the sole founder of any major stance in political philosophy—or in any other field of human inquiry. For, knowingly or unknowingly, every theorist makes important use of ideas and contentions previously developed by other thinkers. Nevertheless, if one were forced to name the founder of the classical liberal perspective in political thought, one would have to point to the English philosopher John Locke (1632–1704).