John Locke

Locke fled to the Netherlands due to suspicion of involvement in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II. During his exile, he wrote his major works and associated with Dutch intellectuals. He returned to England after the Glorious Revolution in 1688.

Locke published his major philosophical work arguing that the human mind at birth is a tabula rasa (blank slate) and that all knowledge comes from sensory experience. This work established empiricism as a foundation of modern philosophy and influenced the Enlightenment.

Locke published his political treatise arguing for natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and the right of revolution against tyranny. The work justified the Glorious Revolution and later profoundly influenced the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Locke argued for the separation of church and state and for religious toleration, except for Catholics and atheists. He maintained that civil government should not interfere with matters of conscience. This work became a foundational text for religious freedom in liberal democracies.