Life, Liberty, and Property: The Core of Locke’s Political Philosophy
John Locke, one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers, laid the foundation for modern liberal democracy. His political philosophy, particularly as articulated in Two Treatises of Government (1689), profoundly shaped the principles of individual rights, limited government, and constitutionalism. At the heart of Locke’s philosophy lie three fundamental rights: life, liberty, and property. These rights,…