ipl-logo

Analysis Of John Locke's The Second Treatise Of Government

1908 Words8 Pages

In “The Second Treatise of Government” (1690), John Locke ambitiously sets out to prove once and for all, that we must rely on the concept of natural rights theory when examining human nature. Locke’s concept seemed unequivocal until Jeremy Bentham’s “Anarchical Fallacies” (1843) which is a paper directly criticizing the ideas presented in Locke’s “The Second Treatise of Government” (1690). Following careful understanding of above mentioned texts, this paper will eventually argue in favor of the criticism provided by Bentham against Locke’s natural rights theory and provide support for principle of utility, a concept by Bentham and why it is necessary and more valuable then natural rights theory when considering human nature. This paper will also consider the work of John Stuart Mill in “What Utilitarianism Is” (1861), to …show more content…

When Bentham states that the natural rights are imaginary rights, Locke can make that claim that by making it known to the public that human being have innate rights which are not rooted in the legal context of the law and therefore cannot be limited by them, this would give human beings the ability to act and investigate against political bodies who may be guilty of violations against its citizens. This point can also be used to defend against Bentham’s claim that laws do not exist without government, because natural laws are not in the realm of politics or legal law therefore they do not need government to be real. Furthermore, the social contract aspect of the natural laws may keep the government of nations in check in terms of pressuring them to actually representative of the people they represent and this would be through the looming threat of a rebelling or a revolution. Finally Locke can also argue that announcing to the world that there are such laws makes it clear and sets a standard for future natural rights to be developed

Show More
Related

Comparing Versailles And John Locke's Second Treatise On Government

1404 Words | 6 Pages

Locke’s foundation for all his assertions on liberty is “that creatures of the same species and rank, promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same faculties, should be also equal” (Locke 8). With this comes “natural liberty” which Locke defines as “to be free from any superior power on earth,…to have only the law of nature for his rule” (Locke 17). The state of nature is something that all men are born into, but must leave to gain both stability and law because in the state of nature, as Locke write above, nature is the only force that rules man. Once one leaves the state of nature a shift is seen; now, “the liberty of man, in society, is to be under no other legislative power, but, that established, by consent” (Locke 17). Locke equates the “law of Nature” as being related to the “law of God” and it is here where Locke’s argument can be seen as divinely ordained, in the same way Louis XIV’s rule was vested in God’s power (Locke 7).

Read More

John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

1385 Words | 6 Pages

New England was fed up with the Church of England and the Puritans wanted to recreate their own religion which they thought was more what God had believed was the intended belief. They both decided that neither of them like the way England was set up and said that England was no good for their beliefs. They planned to leave England and go to the new world to set up a life where their children had the chance to be raised in a perfect society with no corruption. Concentrated on town life and industries, they made a living off of fishing, whaling and shipbuilding. Whale oil was key because it made their lamps.

Read More

Summary Of John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

923 Words | 4 Pages

The United States Constitution guarantees citizens’ rights such as freedom of speech and religion, right to a speedy and public trial, and right against unreasonable searches and seizures. With these rights come responsibilities such as paying taxes and obeying federal, state, and local laws. Some are voluntary such as voting and being an active participant in the community. Citizenship rights outlined in the United States Constitution stem from Second Treatise of Government, Spirit of Laws, and Social Contract. These documents emphasize the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy and provided the basis for the Constitution.

Read More

John Locke Dbq

697 Words | 3 Pages

In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke revealed his interests in new science, developing theories of education and knowledge (SMW, 34). One of the main points in his Treatise is that of the law of nature, where all men are in natural state of perfect freedom (SMW, 34). Locke argues, “Men being…by nature all free, equal, and independent,

Read More

How Did Natural Laws Influence Early America

1322 Words | 6 Pages

In order to understand its influence however, one must contemplate what Locke defined as natural rights. According to Second Treatise of Government, Locke defines “life, health,

Read More

John Locke's Principles Of Government From The Declaration Of Independence

706 Words | 3 Pages

Locke’s ideas were used in the Declaration of Independence, explaining why Americans opposed British rule. The king of Britain did not acknowledge the rights of the colonists, and imposed taxes and formed new laws without the agreement from the colonists to do so. John Locke believed that the duty of a government is to protect the natural rights of the people. These natural rights were the rights to life, liberty, and property. If a government failed to protect those rights, the citizens would have the right to overthrow the government.

Read More

Jonathan Edwards Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

864 Words | 4 Pages

Nonetheless, if the government fails to protect our property or rights, we can rebel against him and remove him from his place. Locke’s law creates a government, that can run the society peacefully, and the law of the society is based on practical reasons. Locke thinks the majority rules is the best system of government. Locke has a positive view of ‘human nature’. He thinks men are good, and they are born with natural rights.

Read More

According To John Locke's Two Treatises Of Government

381 Words | 2 Pages

According to John Locke, an effective government must respect its people’s natural rights, which he argues is necessary because he believes that people have the ability to reason and are inherently good to govern themselves. Because the boys fail to implement this key governing component, they face the consequence of complete chaos and anarchy, which leads to multiple deaths. In John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, he mentions the idea that “Governments exist by the consent of the people in order to protect the rights of the people and promote the public good, governments that fail to do so can be resisted and replaced with new governments.” [Locke]. Since he says that “governments exist by the consent of the people”, he is saying that

Read More

John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

778 Words | 4 Pages

In the Second Treatise of Government, John Locke introduces many innovative ideas, such as the government’s role in protecting its citizens’ natural rights, consent of the governed, and the right of the people to overthrow a government that did not properly protect their rights, all of which played an important role in the development of the French and American Revolutions. In the Second Treatise, one of the main ideas articulated by Locke is that a government is formed in order to protect the people’s natural rights, or as Locke states , “for the mutual preservation” of the people’s “lives, liberties, and estates, which [Locke] call[s] by the general name ‘property’ ” (Locke, p. 37). Locke considers these three rights to be the most valuable

Read More

John Locke's Second Practice Of Government

946 Words | 4 Pages

In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke examines man’s transition from a state of freedom and equality, to a state of civil government with legislative and executive power. Locke believes that by nature people are free. He believes that people’s natural rights consist of life, liberty and property. He also strongly believes that laws and governing are only necessary where something goes wrong. With this being said, Locke thinks it would be only naturally right that no one man has more power over another.

Read More

John Locke's Second Treatise Of Civil Government

1532 Words | 7 Pages

Kacie Lee 2/2/18 Tomasetti AP World P.6 ID #18 1. John Locke (476-477) John Locke was an English philosopher during the period of Enlightenment. He believed that rulers should take care of the people and he defined the government as a relationship between the king and the people. He wrote the Second Treatise of Civil Government (1690) which says that people have give political ability to the king, but they still have the privilege of life, freedom, and possessions.

Read More

John Locke's The Second Treatise Of Government

492 Words | 2 Pages

John Locke wrote his book The Second Treatise of Government in 1690 paving the way for modern liberalism in which we know today. He is regarded as the father of classical liberalism with his ideas of equality and man’s right to govern themselves and there children, dismissing the idea of a ruling government with all the power. His ideas at the time challenged the system and a need for a monarchical government making the choices for its people, leaving those choices up to men themselves. His ideals in all aspects where revolutionary and time changing for the 1690’s. When talking about liberalism, one must talk about John Locke who wrote about the idea of personal liberty or “to be free from any superior power on earth” (Second Treatise, §22).

Read More

Enlightenment And Human Rights Essay

748 Words | 3 Pages

Since the ancient times the research of a ‘Just’ society has always been linked with the Natural Law, a corpus of eternal, universal, and immutable rules, as the Nature, valid for everyone. The precursor of the Human Rights can be located in the Natural Rights theorized during the Renaissance humanism. Even if some rights had already been recognized, or affirmed in ancient and previous times, they were strongly connected to some divine power or religion. Nonetheless there are some precedent examples of interest. The Magna Charta signed in 1215 by that King John of England, who committed himself to respect, contained among others in its list , the rights of all free citizens to own and inherit property, to be protected from excessive taxes,

Read More

John Locke's Concept Of Justice

1751 Words | 8 Pages

Locke's most important and influential political writings are contained in his Two Treatises on Government. The first treatise is concerned almost exclusively with refuting the argument that political authority was derived from religious authority. The second treatise contains Locke’s own constructive view of the aims and justification for civil government. According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one's life as one best sees fit, free from the interference of others. This does not mean, however, that it is a state of license: one is not free to do anything at all one pleases, or even anything that one judges to be in one’s interest.

Read More

John Locke Essay

826 Words | 4 Pages

He accepts that there must be a moral law in the theory of natural law in the second government contract. The purpose of the contract is to protect everyone's rights. Natural law and natural rights work together in a limited government formula. According to Locke, we should believe in a natural religion to respect the rights of others. Although it initially sounds as though Locke has carved out separate roles for faith and reason, it must be noted that these descriptions make belief subordinate to reason in a subtle way.

Read More

More about Analysis Of John Locke's The Second Treatise Of Government

Related Topics

Open Document