Compare And Contrast John Locke And Montesquieu

John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu were political philosophers that debated the question of who was best fit to control the government. Locke and Montesquieu shared similar political beliefs such as natural rights and the separation of government powers. However, both philosophers did, in fact, have their personal views that helped them accomplish important achievements. John Locke published “Two Treatises of Government” and “ An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” which present a detail philosophy of the mind and thought. Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” lays out his philosophical project. Locke’s philosophical project consisted of discovering where our ideas come from, what an idea is, and to examine issues of faith

“Tabula Rasa Theory of Human Behavior.” describes that when born, the human mind is a blank state, with no rules. Experiences are formed as we are exposed to the world. Baron de Montesquieu wrote “The Spirit of Laws” to explain human laws and social institutions. Montesquieu also created the concept of separation of powers and checks and balances. This concept of separation of powers influenced James Madison when writing The US Constitution because it ensured that one branch of government could not gain more power than another. Although both were immensely influential, John Locke was more because he shaped the founding of the United States. Locke influenced in the formation of the Declaration of Independence with his redefined ideas on the nature of government and every human’s natural

These ideas were expressed in his “Tabula Rasa Theory of Human Behavior”. In his writing, Locke says,”Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas—How comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience.” According to this quote, Locke explains that people are born with empty minds, but individual learning and experiences will help to shape life. Experience comes from two different sources: outer experience and inner experience. Outer experience comes from the senses and provide sensory details like color, shapes, heat, and sweetness. Since these qualities exist in material objects, every human perception is the same and produce the same impact in each human. Inner experience comes through self reflexion and provides ideas such as beliefs, ideas, and thoughts. Unlike outer experiences, inner experiences can differ from person to person. Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues used the “Tabula Rasa Theory of Human Behavior” as reference when writing the Declaration of Independence because Locke believed every person deserves a shot at happiness since birth. In the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers write that the “pursuit of