The Early Lives of John Locke

In the aftermath of John Locke’s death in 1704, friends and contemporaries composed memoirs of his life, character, and opinions. The Early Lives of John Locke collects these documents for the first time and presents them alongside commentary and contextual explanation.

John Locke is a pre-eminent figure in the philosophical tradition. He published landmark works on epistemology, political theory, economics, education, and religion. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises of Government continue to be read and interpreted across the globe. In the aftermath of Locke''s death, friends and contemporaries composed memoirs of his life, character, and opinions. These became foundational for all future Locke biography and shaped the Enlightenment''s reception of him.The Early Lives of John Locke collects memoirs by Damaris Masham, Jean Le Clerc, Pierre Coste, and the third Earl of Shaftesbury, together with those of Anthony Wood and Richard Laughton, with fragments and letters by James Tyrrell and Philip van Limborch, and an essay on Locke''s writings by Pierre Des Maizeaux. Mark Goldie and Delphine Soulard support these works with a critical apparatus and commentary, and an extended Introduction. Special attention is paid to the nuances of cultural transmission between French and English versions of Coste''s and Le Clerc''s memoirs. This volume is an essential resource for scholars and readers of Locke, providing contexts for understanding his philosophy and political theory.