Locke

More than 300 years after his death, John Locke remains one of the most popular, influential, and polarizing figures in the history of political thought. His meandering and often contradictory writing style, long history of political involvement, and enthronement as the forefather of modern Anglo-American liberalism provide an ample supply of material for substantive scholarly debate. Though it is difficult, if not impossible, to summarize the entirety of Locke scholarship in a single chapter, this contribution hopes to provide a general introduction to the state of Locke literature. This chapter does not seek to influence Locke scholarship, nor do I make any original claims regarding John Locke. Instead, I provide the necessary background and documentation so that others may continue to develop the literature on him. To that end, I summarize and assess several areas where scholars are most active: namely, Locke’s ideological role in the American founding; his views on education; his active role in composing the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina; the question of whether or not he was a democrat; his true feelings about religious toleration; and his prospective role in supporting modern universal basic income schemes.