Transcript John Locke
Writing Assistance Theme: Change [Individuals Who Have Changed History]— John Locke Step 1&2: Use active reading strategies to understand the task. Theme: Change [Individuals Who Have Changed History] The beliefs and achievements of individuals have changed global history. These beliefs and achievements have had positive and negative effects on society. Task: Identify two individuals who have changed global history and for each • Explain one belief or achievement of that individual • Discuss the positive and/or negative effects of the individual’s belief or achievement Explain means “to make plain or understandable; to give reasons for or causes of; to show the logical development or relationships of.” Discuss means “to make observations about something using facts, reasoning, and argument; to present in some detail” Step 3: Formulate a preliminary claim (it might need revision later). The beliefs and achievements of individuals have changed global history. These beliefs and achievements have had positive and negative effects on society. One individual who has had a huge impact on history is John Locke. Steps 4 & 5: Collect information and record it on a graphic organizer. Change [Individuals Who Have Changed History] Individual John Locke (England; the Enlightenment [1700’s]) Natural rights • Locke was an English philosopher during the Enlightenment, when thinkers were applying the scientific method developed during the Scientific Revolution and used it to study and explain government. One belief or • achievement Locke’s writing identified two key ideas of the movement. The first was the concept of natural rights. He argued that there were certain rights that all people should have no matter what. He listed them as Life, Liberty and Property. No one, he said, had the right to take these rights away from someone for no reason. • His second idea was the social contract theory of government. He said that governments are created by people to protect their natural rights. • Locke continued that if any government wasn’t protecting these rights, that the people were justified in revolting and creating a new government that would. Helped cause revolutions throughout the world and history • In the time Locke lived, most European countries were ruled by absolute monarchs. These kings and queens did not respect the rights of their people. Instead, they did whatever they wanted. Positive and/or negative effect • As the growing middle class (who were literate) read Locke’s ideas, they questioned the rulers of their country and their unfair practices. This led to many revolutions in the period right after the Enlightenment. • The best example is the French Revolution of 1789, when the peasants of France were used by the middle class to overthrow King Louis XVI after he taxed them into starvation and extreme poverty. France would eventually become a democracy. • These ideas still inspire revolutions even today. The recent revolts in the Middle East— called the Arab Spring by the press—were motivated by the same beliefs. Step 6: Revisit your claim. Revise it, if necessary. Step 7: Write your response, using your graphic organizer to guide you. Make sure your points are in a logical order. Step 8: Re-read and edit your response. Remember, capitalization counts in this class.