In a focused assessment of one of the founding members of the liberal tradition in philosophy and a self-proclaimed "Under-Labourer" working to support the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century, the author maps the full range of John Locke's highly influential ideas, which even today remain at the heart of debates about the nature of reality and our knowledge of it, as well as our moral and political rights and duties. * Comprehensive introduction to the full range of Locke's ideas, providing an up-to-date account that acknowledges issues raised by recent scholarship over the past decade * A well-rounded perspective on one of the intellectual giants of the western philosophical tradition * Provides detailed coverage of Locke's two key works, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and The Two Treatises of Government. * A sophisticated analysis by a highly respected academic * A vital addition to the Blackwell Great Minds series