Quotessence
Home / Authors / John Locke
John Locke

John Locke Quotes

Philosopher

Filter quotes by topic

AllMenMindIfsReasonShouldThinkingMayChildrenUsePhilosophical

Famous John Locke Quotes

“I find every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it gladly: and where it fails them, they cry out, It is a matter of faith, and above reason.”

MatterReasonHelpingUseReligionFailingCryPositive AtheismSects
Book:Locke's essays. An essay concerning human understanding. And A treatise on the conduct of the understanding. With the author's last additions
Create image

“A man may live long, and die at last in ignorance of many truths, which his mind was capable of knowing, and that with certainty.”

MenMindMayLongLastsDiesKnowingIgnoranceCapableCertainty
Book:Philosophical Works: Preliminary discourse by the editor. On the conduct of the understanding. An essay concerning human understanding
Create image

“Books seem to me to be pestilent things, and infect all that trade in them...with something very perverse and brutal. Printers, binders, sellers, and others that make a trade and gain out of them have universally so odd a turn and corruption of mind that they have a way of dealing peculiar to themselves, and not conformed to the good of society and that general fairness which cements mankind.”

WayMindBookSeemsTurnsReadingMankindGainsTradeCorruptionOddPeculiarFairnessBrutalSellersCementPrinterBinders
Author:John Locke
Create image

“As children's inquiries are not to be slighted, so also great care is to be taken, that they never receive deceitful and illuding answers. They easily perceive when they are slighted or deceived, and quickly learn the trick of neglect, dissimulation, and falsehood, which they observe others to make use of. We are not to intrench upon truth in any conversation, but least of all with children; since, if we play false with them, we not only deceive their expectation, and hinder their knowledge, but corrupt their innocence, and teach them the worst of vices.”

IfsChildrenPlayUseCareAnswersTeachTakenTeachingWorstConversationExpectationsVicesTricksInnocencePerceiveNeglectFalsehoodDeceivingInquiryDeceivedHinderDeceitfulSlighted
Book:Some Thoughts Concerning Education: (Including Of the Conduct of the Understanding)
Create image

“Let the awe [the teacher] has upon [children's] minds be so tempered with the constant marks of tenderness and good will, that affection may spur them to their duty, and make them find a pleasure in complying with his dictates. This will bring them with satisfaction to their tutor; make them hearken to him, as to one who is their friend, that cherishes them, and takes pains for their good; this will keep their thoughts easy and free, whilst they are with him, the only temper wherein the mind is capable of receiving new information, and of admitting into itself those impressions.”

MindMayChildrenPainEasyPleasureTeacherTeachingInformationDutyCapableMarkConstantAffectionSatisfactionImpressionAweCherishTemperReceivingTendernessGood WillSpursAdmittingTutorNew InformationComplying
Book:Locke, Berkely & Hume
Create image

“Now, I appeal to the consciences of those that persecute, torment, destroy, and kill other men upon pretence of religion, whether they do it out of friendship and kindness towards them or no? I say, if all this be done merely to make men Christians and procure their salvation, why then do they suffer whoredom, fraud, malice and such-like enormities, which (according to the Apostle) manifestly relish of heathenish corruption, to predominate so much and abound amongst their flocks and people?”

PeopleIfsMenDoneChristianSufferingKindnessConscienceSalvationCorruptionAppealsFraudTormentMaliceApostlesFlocksRelishPretence
Author:John Locke
Create image

“The Legislative cannot transfer the Power of Making Laws to any other hands. For it being but a delegated Power from the People, they who have it, cannot pass it over to others. The People alone can appoint the Form of the Commonwealth, which is by Constituting the Legislative, and appointing in whose hands that shall be.”

PeopleHandsFormLawTransfersCommonwealth
Book:THE WORKS OF JOHN LOCKE, Esq;: In THREE VOLUMES. To which is Added, The LIFE of the AUTHOR; AND A COLLECTION of Several of His PIECES Published by Mr. DESMAIZEAUX.
Create image

“Since nothing appears to me to give Children so much becoming Confidence and Behavior, and so raise them to the conversation of those above their Age, as Dancing. I think they should be taught to dance as soon as they are capable of learning it.”

ThinkingGivingShouldChildrenAgeTaughtBecomingConversationBehaviorCapableRaisesDancingBallet
Book:Some Thoughts Concerning Education: And, Of the Conduct of the Understanding
Create image

“To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.”

ThinkingMenPersonsStatesActionLawPoliticalOrderPerfectFitAskingOriginalsBoundsPossessionLaws Of NaturePolitical Power
Book:Two treatises of government
Create image

“Thus the law of nature stands as an eternal rule to all men, legislators as well as others. The rules that they make for other mens actions, must, as well as their own and other mens actions, be conformable to the law of nature, i.e. to the will of God, of which that is a declaration, and the fundamental law of nature being the preservation of mankind, no human sanction can be good, or valid against it.”

MenHumansWellsActionLawMankindEternalFundamentalsBe GoodGods WillDeclarationPreservationLaws Of NatureSanctionsLegislators
Book:Two treatises of government
Create image

“Thirdly, the supreme power cannot take from any man any part of his property without his own consent: for the preservation of property being the end of government, and that for which men enter into society, it necessarily supposes and requires, that the people should have property, without which they must be supposed to lose that, by entering into society, which was the end for which they entered into it; too gross an absurdity for any man to own.”

PeopleMenShouldEndsGovernmentLosesShould HavePropertySupremeAbsurdityConsentPreservationEnteringGrossSupreme Power
Book:The Second Treatise of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration
Create image

“And thus the community perpetually retains a supreme power of saving themselves from the attempts and designs of anybody, even of their legislators, whenever they shall be so foolish, or so wicked, as to lay and carry on designs against the liberties and properties of the subject.”

CommunityLibertySubjectsDesignLaysPropertyFoolishSupremeSavingWickedLegislatorsSupreme Power
Book:The Second Treatise on Civil Government
Create image