Ch. 13 The Enlightenment

John Locke

John Locke saw property in both a broad and narrow image. The broad concerned the individual interest and aspirations, while the narrow concerned material goods. Locke stressed that property is a right and obtained by labor. By this he means that nothing in life comes free and everything worthwhile take some work, which I agree with. He also believed that owning unused property was an insult to nature.

Locke concerning the self stressed an empty mind that is formed by experience. He says that our sensations and reflections create all of our ideas. For example, an individual must have a sensation to do something. Once that person does it they reflect on the experience and create ideas from it.

Edmund Burke

Edmund Burke was a supporter to the American Revolution but opposed to the French Revolution. He firmly believed in maintaining the status quo, or gradual change, by avoiding large radical changes to a society.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft was an early feminist who strived to be "the first of a new genus" by deciding to become an author even though it was very hard for a woman to make a living in that profession at that time. In 1792 she wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Here she discussed her views in that men are not superior to women naturally. What separates the two sexes, she says, is a lack of educational opportunities for women. This obviously would have caused an uproar because this type of thing was unheard of in her time. Wollstonecraft was a very brave woman who is well respected for her impact on feminism.