Friday, March 5, 2010

Famous Racists in History: John Locke


John Locke (1632-1704)
Many people regard John Locke as the most influential thinker of and contributor to the Enlightenment. The writings of John Locke influenced Immanuel Kant, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, and many others including many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers and also the so-called founding fathers of America. The American Declaration of Independence echoes philosophical ideas of John Locke.
John Locke greatly influenced not only philosophy, but also politics, especially on liberalism and libertarianism. His contentions regarding the social contract and liberty inspired the writings of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and other Founding Fathers of the United States. Moreover, his philosophy helped spark the French Revolution and the American Revolution.
Locke rejected the idea that Kings had a divine right to rule. Instead, Locke argued that people are the source of power, not kings. Locke argued that people are born with certain "natural" or "inalienable" rights. These include the right to "life, liberty and property." Government did not give people these rights; rather they are born with them and as such, no government can take them away.

Locke influenced the lives of the Native Americans as well. His statements on unenclosed and unimproved land justified their displacement loss of property. Locke had the curious but convenient belief that Africans and Native Americans did not practice agriculture and, according to him, the only entitlement to land came from cultivation.
While opining on Liberty Locke invested a large sum in the Royal African Company, an enterprise specifically devoted to trading in slaves for sale to the plantations in the Americas.
Locke also served in administrative capacities in a number of positions dealing directly with colonization and slavery. As unofficial secretary to the Lord Proprietors of Carolina, for example, Locke co-authored the “Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina” which provided a proviso that “every freeman of Carolina shall have absolute power and authority over his negro slave of what opinion or religion soever.”

By the 1680s there was on fact a widespread opinion that Negroes were only one link above apes – also from Africa – in the ‘great chain of being’. This type of thinking was made easier by Locke’s nominalism- his denial that there was any clear definition of “man”.
The general explanation for African enslavement was “Europeans argued that in taking Africans out of their native continent, they were ‘rescuing’ them from a ‘primitive’ and ‘barbaric’ existence” (Shillington 180).
Thank you John Locke, and we salute you as today’s Famous Racist in History.

20 comments:

John said...

tory burch sale
ray ban outlet
louis vuitton outlet
cheap jordan shoes
coach factory
polo ralph lauren
coach factorty outlet
christian louboutin outlet
rolex watches
adidas uk
michael kors handbags
fitflops sale clearance
ray ban sunglasses
ugg outlet store
michael kors handbags
ray bans
ray ban sunglasses
canada goose
cheap jerseys
true religion
louis vuitton outlet
ray ban outlet
kate spade outlet
ugg outlet
abercrombie outlet
nike sb shoes
michael kors outlet
louis vuitton
uggs on sale
louis vuitton handbags
toms shoes
louis vuitton outlet
ray bans
2016318yuanyuan

Unknown said...

cheap oakley sunglasses
rolex daytona
ralph lauren outlet
asics shoes
timberlands
ugg boots
rolex replica watches
true religion jeans
mcm outlet
cheap jordans
coach outlet online
cheap ray ban sunglasses
cheap ugg boots
cheap nhl jerseys
celine outlet
michael kors outlet clearance
michael kors outlet clearance
ray ban sunglasses
christian louboutin outlet
polo ralph lauren outlet
gucci outlet
coach outlet online
true religion jeans
nike roshe run women
oakley sunglasses
oakley sunglasses
babyliss flat iron
air jordan shoes
true religion jeans
converse shoes
true religion outlet
oakley sunglasses outlet
adidas shoes
chi flat iron
louboutin
ZHUO20160818

xumeiqing said...

20161021meiqing
adidas yeezy
christian louboutin
michael kors bags
adidas super color
toms shoes outlet
michael kors outlet
oakley sunglasses
longchamp outlet store
cheap nfl jerseys
ralph lauren outlet

Unknown said...

red bottoms shoes
coach outlet
canada goose
canada goose jackets
coach outlet
michael kors bags
canada goose
nike free run black
ed hardy sale
adidas yeezy boost
20170218caiyan

Unknown said...

christian louboutin boots
michael kors outlet
ralph lauren outlet
coach factory online
michael kors outlet clearance
lee jeans wholesale
adidas trainers shoes
cheap jordans
longchamp bags
nike air force 1 high
2017.3.14chenlixiang

Unknown said...

coach factory outlet
coach outlet
louis vuitton handbags
gucci outlet
foamposite shoes
louis vuitton outlet
adidas uk store
puma shoes
nike store
louis vuitton borse
20170329caihuali

Unknown said...

beats headphones
ray ban glasses
michael kors
air max shoes
ray ban sale
air max
pandora outlet
michael kors
nmd adidas
yeezy shoes
170513yueqin

Unknown said...

rolex replica watches
yeezy shoes
polo ralph lauren outlet
longchamp handbags
coach factory outlet online
sac longchamp
coach factory outlet online
michael kors outlet clearance
birkenstock outlet
adidas outlet online
170622yueqin

Unknown said...

cheap oakley sunglasses
coach outlet clearance
roshe run
salomon outlet
cheap michael kors handbags
cheap ray ban sunglasses
michael kors outlet
ray-ban sunglasses
true religion canada
snapbacks wholesale
20170821lck

jeje said...

kobe 11
adidas stan smith
adidas ultra boost 3.0
pandora bracelet
vans outlet
michael kors handbags
ferragamo sale
atlanta falcons jersey
adidas yeezy boost
kobe sneakers

raybanoutlet001 said...

washington redskins jerseys
mlb jerseys
bears jerseys
coach outlet online
coach outlet online
christian louboutin outlet
nike factory outlet
nike huarache
christian louboutin shoes
christian louboutin outlet

QQQQQQQQQ said...

adidas yeezy boost
ysl
goyard bags
yeezy boost 350 v2
adidas tubular shadow
john wall shoes
vans shoes
nike flyknit racer
nike flyknit racer
james harden shoes

chenlili said...

nike tennis
michael kors outlet
van cleef & arpels jewelry
yeezy desert rat 500
michael kors outlet
gentle monster sunglasses
dsquared2 jeans
jordan 31
versace sunglasses
baseball jerseys
chenyingying20180530
chenyingying20180530

Unknown said...

qzz0608
bulgari jewelry
cheap nfl jerseys
ferragamo outlet
michael kors outlet
coach outlet
pandora outlet
timberwolves jerseys
oakley sunglasses
michael kors outlet
cazal sunglasses

jjjjjjjjjjjjj said...

yeezy
lacoste online shop
adidas nmd
retro jordans
basketball shoes
hermes belt
golden goose outlet
michael kors purses
stephen curry 5
fenty puma

5689 said...

zzzzz2018.10.15
canada goose outlet
off white outlet
michael kors outlet
adidas clothing
vibram five fingers
coach outlet
longchamp outlet
off white shoes
nike outlet factory
coach outlet factory

Bob Garringer said...

Locke should be celebrated for his contributions to the history of thought and learning and should not be celebrated for his - moral - failures, just as Martin Luther King should be celebrated for his efforts to reconcile the races and should not be celebrated for - his - moral failures. Honest history is good for us all, but let's not try to clean it up by hiding from the truth found there or by tearing down its monuments, erected to great but sometimes seriously flawed people. And let's not fight a war of words over it either.

Unknown said...

company website see post learn the facts here now directory Learn More Here Extra resources

sebin said...

Going Here www.dolabuy.ru check my blog Louis Vuitton Dolabuy original site Check This Out

Unknown said...

click to find out more Dolabuy Balenciaga try here replica ysl pop over here replica ysl bags