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Englishman John Locke (1632-1704) was the leading political philosopher during the Enlightenment, whose ideas helped the American colonists form a new government.  Locke described society as a contract between an individual and society called the "social contract".  This was a radical concept at a time when monarchs and the divine right of kings was the controlling theory. Locke’s view helped lay the foundation for the constitutional government that we use in the United States. Locke had built on the prior work of Englishmen [[Francis Bacon]] and [[Thomas Hobbes]].

Englishman John Locke (1632-1704) was the leading political philosopher during the Enlightenment, whose ideas helped the American colonists form a new government.  Locke described society as a contract between individuals called the "social contract", and held that the formation of collectives by individuals was the only way to ensure economic prosperity (see his ''Second Treatise on Government'').   Locke’s view helped lay the foundation for the constitutional government that we use in the United States, though unfortunately the [[Founding Fathers]] do not appear to have read chapter IV of the ''Second Treatise''. Locke had built on the prior work of Englishmen [[Francis Bacon]] and [[Thomas Hobbes]].