Natural Law

The School of Natural Law Philosophy was an intellectual group of
philosophers.   They developed new ways of thinking about religion and government.
Natural law was based on moral principles, but the overall outlook changed with
the 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 that
time.   He argued that humans in the state of nature are free and equal, yet
insecure in their freedom.   When they enter society, they surrender only such
rights as are necessary for their security and for the common good.   He also
believed that each individual retains fundamental prerogatives drawn from
natural law relating to the integrity of the person and property.   This natural
rights theory was the basis of not only the American, but also the French
revolution. 1   During his lifetime, he wrote many essays and letters to his
colleagues on a variety of topics:2

    • 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 Money (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 Malebranche's Opinion of Seeing All Things
          in God
    • Remarks on Some of Mr Norris's Books
    • Conduct of the Understanding

Locke's greatest philosophical contribution is his Essay Concerning
Human Understanding....