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Impact Of John Locke On Civil Disobedience

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John Locke, in some of his most immortal words, once said that “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.” Locke believed in these natural rights of the human being, and he challenged the idea of a monarch’s divine right to the throne; instead, he favored a social contract in which people consented a government to rule over them. While they may relinquish some of their rights, these four should always remain: life, health, liberty, and possessions. Though at first sight these may seem trivial and obvious, there are times when the powers in force neglect them. It is during these times when people must utilize their born human right to protest in resistance to poor treatment and demand something better. Peaceful resistance to unjust laws positively impacts society in that it ensures people are treated as people and protects the natural liberties free societies must all have. …show more content…

Without it, people remain at risk to be taken advantage of by their governments, as the American colonists once were, and are stripped the opportunity to remark on crucial issues. In addition, as the world is constantly evolving, protests act as a way for our laws and viewpoints to keep in touch with modern times. Without the constant questioning of what is right and wrong, the world would find itself trapped within a time warp where progression is halted and nothing ever changes. Time and time again, protests and acts of civil disobedience have brought rise to some of the greatest social and political movements of our age. The abolition of slavery, a woman's right to vote, and the civil rights movement- all have resulted due to tireless efforts of people working to open minds and challenge centuries of established norms in our country. It is a difficult thing to imagine a world where everything is constant and nothing develops because people don’t think to go back and

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