Books relating to John Locke

1 total work

The Life of John Locke with Extracts from His Correspondence

by Peter King

Published 1 February 1992

These two volumes are more than a biography: they present Locke's story, as far as possible, through his own eyes, showing how his distinctive views arose out of reflection on contemporary events. The bare facts of Locke's life are thus supplemented by correspondence and by extracts from his journals and manuscripts. Among his correspondents we find Shaftesbury, whose influence drew Locke into opposition politics, Newton, who in his paranoia accused Locke of being a Hobbist and of trying "to embroil me with women", and the Whig statesman Somers who consulted Locke on such issues as the debasement of the currency and the establishment of the Scottish Church. The unpublished manuscripts include essays on toleration, on study and on religion, usually written with a view to contemporary affairs - Locke was the very opposite of the "ivory tower" philosopher.