Locke's Philosophical Criticism Destroyed the Institutions of the Day

We must note two aspects of Locke’s method of analysis. One is that it was primarily a method of criticism, a method which by means of analysis subjected to critical scrutiny the many complex ideas which prevail in a society, and which because of their abstruse nature, cause confusion and misunderstanding. Locke proposed that all such ideas be analyzed into their simple components and examined critically so that the degree of their validity might be determined. The other aspect for us to note is that Locke’s method of analysis is an historical one. Analysis includes exploration into the historical relationships of the idea, and of the roles that it has played. It atomizes the structure of the complex idea, and analyzes the origins of each element in it.

The very simplicity of Locke's method creates the danger that we may fail to appreciate its historical significance. We must remember that Locke lived at the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th centuries, during a time when Western culture was in a period of transition. The culture of liberalism had been developing for two hundred years before this period, and already, in Locke’s day, was a strong influence; but at the same time, traditional European thought and superstitions, a heritage from the Medieval Age, continued to dominate many areas of human thought. Locke lived at a time when medieval traditions and modern liberalism contended for supremacy. The new culture existed it is true; but traditionalism was also very much in the scene. Locke, as the philosopher of liberalism, forged an important weapon for the advancement of the new and the eventual rout of the old——and this weapon was his method of analysis. This method enabled men to subject to critical analysis the traditional institutions, ideas, and superstitions which they had inherited from the past and to determine their origins and to discern their shortcomings. This is the reason we call Locke’s method an important weapon in the war against superstition.

Although Locke died at the beginning of the 18th century his influence throughout that century was a dominant one. It affected England, but was even more influential in France. For much of the Western world, the 18th century was an age of destruction—that is to say, an age of reason during which traditional institutions, traditional thought, and traditional religion came under every form of attack. The intellectuals of the 18th century applied the term "The Dark Ages" to medieval times, and called their own century "The Enlightenment" They made great use of Locke s method to throw light into the darkness. This method was applied not only to revolutionize intellectual life, but was equally applicable in social and political affairs. No institution escaped analysis, critical examination of its origins and its contents, and rigid assessment of its worth. When such examination disclosed faults and contradictions in inherited institutions, it was relatively easy to discard the institution and replace it with another. Locke’s influence during this period was incalculable.