Literary Analysis Of John Locke's Treatise Of Government

In chapter two of John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, the idea of a natural law is introduced, and with this law, Locke brings forward several implications of how government is formed and run. Before there was government, everyone had equal rights, and land was a god given right to be shared by everyone. When people began to organize, they consented to give up certain rights to receive certain benefits. Locke argues that this is natural, as since men are equal, “all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal” (sec. 4). If every man provides help for others, everyone benefits. So, even though not everything is perfectly shared and distributed, equality remains, but is balanced through a more complex system.

While reading the “The Second Treatise of Government,” you can notice and see that John Locke has a strong standing for civil rights as well as helping with the development of the Constitution of the United States. He states that the “consent of the governed,” is basically saying that communities are not put together by the divine right or ruled by. Paternal, familial, and political are types of powers that John Locke mentions that have all have unlike characteristics. He inspired others to believe in and want equal rights and democracy. John Locke talks about the state of nature, which basically states that no one has the power to be ruler of someone, as well as they are able to do what they want in a freely matter. In other words people are born just like anyone else that is born, and should have equally rights to property, health, and liberty, and that no one should have the power over anyone. Everyone should be able to live and enjoy his or her own freedom and wellbeing. However, the state of nature is not a guarantee to have natural laws, which could help with the protecting of one’s property. According to him having your own personal freedom was the true meaning of state of nature. John Locke thought that people were following his faith in human rationality through the declaration of Locke. John Locke states that if the government takes away from others for them to empower them then the people have right and opportunity to go against

In the text “Second Treatise of Government” by John Locke various themes were presented such as the theme of Dissolution of Government and the Dissolution of the Society. If the society or government is corrupt then it won’t work in either way according to my opinion. In order to have a stable government, a stable society it is necessary to have which provides rules and regulations. Imagine a society without rules & regulations. How chaotic it must be without order and discipline. If both the government and the society work with each other it creates some form of order. In most countries today people do not have a voice in government. The feature I thought about in this particular chapter is about politics in general. I thought about

In Locke’s second treatise of government, John Locke described that to understand the rights of individuals and role of government, one must starts with a consideration of men in a state of nature. In a state of nature where everyone is equal and free, everyone could do anything as long as they followed the law of nature. In the law of nature everyone had a right to self-preservation, and it is against the law of nature to impose that right. Due to the fact that there is no such thing as private property in nature or the bible, John Locke uses the right to self-preservation to justify the existence of private property. It is clear to lock that individuals came before society in the state of nature, therefore individuals are more important than any social order.

When thinking about the role of government in society, everyone has different opinions on what part government should play in their lives. In Locke’s, Second Treatise on Civil Government, the governments primary role is to ensure that people achieve equal natural rights and that they protect the property of its citizens. When beginning to think about that idea, it seems relatively simple and a proper position for the government, and it is, but one must dive deeper into the text and develop ones’ own opinions. Locke’s argument that government should protect natural rights and property is a valid argument with its core components; and the arguments that you are able to point out in it such as using property in a beneficial, and humans being fond of material possessions, helps one understand Locke’s argument and makes it stronger. Being able to relate Locke’s aim of government to present day also enhances the overall scope of this particular Lockean argument.

John Locke once said that “If government fails to fulfill the end for which it was established the preservation of the individual’s right to life, liberty, and property…” What Locke meant is in a society the people and the government have a social contract where the people give some of their rights in exchange for the protection of their lives and remaining liberties. The liberties that we are entitled to can be derived from the state of nature where all men are born free. The state of nature and Locke’s Second Treatise on Government were written during the age of the Enlightenment. The age of the Enlightenment has influenced major events throughout history such as the French and American revolutions and still has influence in our society today. The influence of the age of the Enlightenment can be seen in the

In Locke’s first Treatises of Government he discussed how Divine Rights of Kings are not by God’s will. Unlike Filmer Locke believes that people are leaders and Kings due to the

Locke argues the illegitimacy of absolute monarchy as a form of government and offers readers a new form of government and civil society wherein individuals surrender their natural rights in exchange for: “the peace,

Men need government not because they desire to be subject to the authority of a governing body; instead they subject themselves to government because living under a government is preferable to living without one. Man’s experience without government is referred to by Locke as the ‘state of nature’. In such a state, man is intrinsically free, as Locke describes, “absolute lord of his own persons and possessions” (1689). With no governance, he possesses total authority over himself and his actions, accountable to no one and no institution. Despite such perceived freedoms, Locke describes man’s existence without government as “is full of fears and continual dangers” (year). Without government,

In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Locke discusses a lot of important topics. The topics discussed are the state of nature, common wealth, a civil society, equality of men, and much more. In my writing, I will be discussing a few of these topics. I will be explaining how John Locke’s account of the state of nature set up and support his argument for a liberal political structure of civil society. John Locke begins the Second Treatise of Government by discussing the state of nature.

This allows for the monarch and family to be the almighty family and to control the lands and lives of all others within their county (Monarchy Pros and Cons List, 2016). In addition, if the monarch decides to be a tyrant or an oppressor, there is no person or persons to stop him/her (Monarchy Pros and Cons List, 2016). Finally, the monarch is the determinate regarding the laws of the land and how those laws change, remain in existence and are exercised, which removes freedoms from the citizens within the country(Monarchy Pros and Cons List, 2016). If a person is deemed to have been disloyal to the monarchist, the fate lies solely within the monarchist's power, judgment, and final discretion (Monarchy Pros and Cons List,

In the text, Locke talks about how powers should be separated and not concentrated in the same person (the King) because he would be tempted, and in fact it was happening, to use them just to satisfy his desires. Locke also says that

Locke states that the dissolution of the government can be completed if the officials overstep the trust placed in them. Locke also believes that if an official passes a law the people who appointed them did not wish for them to pass, then they are ruling without authority. If a government fails to enforce laws in society or uses force without rights, then the people are able to create a new legislative power.

Locke defines political power as “the right of making laws with penalties of death […] for the regulating and preserving of property […] and in the defence of the common-wealth from foreign injury; and all this only for the public good” (8). However, he makes clear of the fact that a political power without the consent of all individuals, is not legitimate. Locke writes that “no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent. The only way whereby any one divests himself of his natural liberty, and puts on the bonds of civil society, is by agreeing with other men to join and unite into a community” (Locke 52). In other words, he says that a political society does not exist unless individuals consensually form into one. John Locke claims that men are naturally born free and equal, however they give up some of their rights to the government in order to preserve their property (64). Governments only exist because of the consent of the people, and they serve the purpose of protecting the rights of individuals in a society, as well as promoting common good. Locke then

John Locke's Second Treatise, Of Civil Government gives an insight on how political power was constructed from every man's natural instincts. Locke refers to the instincts as “Nature” all throughout his treatise. Man's nature may have the same basic yearnings but not every man has the same will power to carry their desires. Locke's thesis is valid, a perfect egalitarian state can never be achieved. Locke's definition of a state of equality is “...no one having more than another, there being nothing more evident than that creatures of the same species and rank” (4). Nature in its pure, terrestrial form does not allow two things to be perfectly the same. The circle of life sees to there being weaker forms and stronger forms. Humans follow this