Locke, John, 1632-1704, English philosopher, founder of British empiricism. Locke's two most important works Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises on Civil Government, both published in 1690, quickly established him as the leading philosopher of freedom. The sequence of thought is less illogical than one might think. Locke is still describing man before "society," i.e. before civic organization and government; one of his goals is to show that society has positive purposes, including protection of people and their rights (one of which is the right to property). He's described a state of nature that rests on mutual respect.
