45 Best John Locke Quotes From The Famous Philosopher

John Locke was an English philosopher and physician, and considered a very influential Enlightenment thinkers and more commonly known as the “Father of Liberalism.”

John Locke is recognized as the founder of British empiricism and the author of the first systematic exposition and defense of political liberalism. He was also a political theorist. Read along for John Locke quotes.

Among all of the fundamental natural rights, Locke said, are “life, liberty, and property.” Locke believed that the most basic human law of nature is the preservation of humankind, and to serve the purpose, individuals have both a right and a duty to preserve their own lives. John Locke’s most famous works are 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding' (1689), in which he developed his theory of ideas and his account of the origins of human knowledge in experience. His work is influential and will help you to know John Locke quotes. If you like this article, check out these Kant quotes and Kropotkin quotes after this.

John Locke’s most famous work is 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding', which helped him develop his theory of ideas. Here are some of the best John Locke enlightenment quotes along with his best prejudice quotes of life and liberty.

1. “Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”

- John Locke.

2. “Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”

- John Locke.

3. “New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not common.”

- John Locke.

4. “The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.”

- John Locke, ‘Some Thoughts Concerning Education’.

5. “We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the color of our moral character, from those who are around us.”

- John Locke.

6. “Parents wonder why the streams are bitter, when they themselves poison the fountain.”

- John Locke.

7. “To love truth for truth’s sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues.”

- John Locke.

8. “Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him.”

- John Locke.

9. “Revolt is the right of the people.”

- John Locke.

10. “No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.”

- John Locke.

11. “To prejudge other men’s notions before we have looked into them is not to show their darkness but to put out our own eyes.”

- John Locke.

12. “All wealth is the product of labor.”

- John Locke.

John Locke quotes life, liberty, and property as being a guiding light for individuals and governments all over. Read on for some of the most enlightening John Locke human nature quotes along with the best natural rights John Locke quotes.

13. “New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.”

- John Locke.

14. “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”

- John Locke.

15. “Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.”

- John Locke.

16. “No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.”

- John Locke.

17. “The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”

- John Locke.

18. “Our Business here is not to know all things, but those which concern our conduct.”

- John Locke, ‘An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Volume II’.

19. “A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a Happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little better for anything else.”

- John Locke.

20. “The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.”

- John Locke.

21. “A man has perfect liberty over his conscience (the “liberty of judgement”). If the magistrate commands what has already been divinely commanded, then the citizen is obliged to obey and such laws can not be unjust for they do not bind a man’s conscience or his action.”

- John Locke.

22. “Reverie is when ideas float in our mind without reflection or regard of the understanding.”

- John Locke.

23. “Few men think, yet all will have opinions. Hence men’s opinions are superficial and confused.”

- John Locke.

24. “Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.”

- John Locke.

25. “There is frequently more to be learned from the unexpected questions of a child than the discourses of men.”

- John Locke.

John Locke always pointed to the government as he always saw the government as promoting good and securing people’s rights and interests. According to Locke, governments do not exist until people create them. Here are some of the most prominent John Locke social contract quotes and other John Locke lost quotes.

26. “Government has no other end than the preservation of property.” Tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right.”

- John Locke.

27. “But there is only one thing which gathers people into seditious commotion, and that is oppression.”

- John Locke.

28. “…no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.”

- John Locke.

29. “In transgressing the law of nature, the offender declares himself to live by another rule than that of reason and common equity.”

- John Locke.

30. “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.”

- John Locke, ‘Second Treatise Of Government’.

31. “A liberty to follow my own will in all things where that rule prescribes not, not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will of another man, as freedom of nature is to be under no other restraint but the law of Nature.”

- John Locke, ‘Second Treatise Of Government’.

32. “God hath woven into the principles of human nature such a tenderness for their off-spring, that there is little fear that parents should use their power with too much rigour;”

- John Locke, ‘Second Treatise Of Government’.

33. “For though the law of nature be plain and intelligible to all rational creatures; yet men, being biased by their interest, as well as ignorant for want of study of it, are not apt to allow it as a law binding to them in the application of it to their particular cases.”

-  John Locke, ‘Second Treatise Of Government’.

34. “As if when men, quitting the state of Nature, entered into society, they agreed that all of them but one should be under the restraint of laws; but that he should still retain all the liberty of the state of Nature, increased with power.”

- John Locke.

35. “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings, capable of laws, where there is no law there is no freedom.”

- John Locke.

John Locke developed a philosophy that emphasized three points. According to Locke, the natural condition of mankind is a “state of nature” characterized by human freedom and equality. Here are some of the John Locke quotes about human nature.

36. “There are a thousand ways to Wealth, but only one way to Heaven.”

- John Locke.

37. “Good and evil, reward and punishment, are the only motives to a rational creature: these are the spur and reins whereby all mankind are set on work, and guided.”

- John Locke.

38. “Try all things, hold fast that which is good.”

- John Locke.

39. “All men are liable to error; and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.”

- John Locke.

40. “Those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of God. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist. The taking away of God, though but even in thought, dissolves all.”

- John Locke.

41. “It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth.”

- John Locke.

42. “Seek to make thy course regular, that men may know beforehand what they may expect.”

- John Locke.

43. “The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it.”

- John Locke.

44. “I pretend not to teach, but to inquire.”

- John Locke.

45. “The rising unto place is laborious, and by pains men come to greater pains; and it is sometimes base, and by indignities men come to dignities.”

- John Locke.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for John Locke quotes, then why not take a look at Will Durant quotes, or Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes.

‍