Natural Law :: essays research papers

Natural Law     The School of Natural Law ism was an intellectual group ofphilosophers. They developed new ways of thinking about religion and government.Natural law was based on moral principles, but the general outlook changed withthe times.     John Locke was a great philosopher from the middle of the 17th century.He was a primary contributor to the new ideas concerning natural law of thattime. He argued that gentleman in the state of nature are free and equal, yetinsecure in their freedom. When they enter society, they surrender only suchrights as are indispensable for their security and for the common good. He alsobelieved that each individual retains fundamental prerogatives drawn fromnatural law relating to the integrity of the person and property. This naturalrights theory was the basis of not only the American, but also the Frenchrevolution. 1 During his lifetime, he wrote many essays and letters to hiscolleagues on a variety of topics2 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 specie (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 Malebranches Opinion of Seeing all Thingsin God Remarks on Some of Mr Norriss Books Conduct of the Understanding     Lockes greatest philosophical contribution is his Essay ConcerningHuman Understanding. In the winter of 1670, five or six friends were talking inhis room, probably in London. The topic was the "principles of morality andrevealed religion," but arguments arose and no real progress or seriousdiscussion took place. Then, he goes on to say, "it came into my thoughts thatwe took a wrong course, and that before we set ourselves upon inquiries of thatnature, it was necessary to examine our own abilities, and see what objects ourunderstandings were, or were not, fitted to deal with." At the request of hisfriends, Locke agreed to release down his thoughts on this question at their nextmeeting, and he expected that a single sheet of paper would suffice for thepurpose. Little did he confirm the importance of the issue which he raised, andthat it would take up his free time for nearly twenty years.