ipl-logo

John Lock Civil Government Analysis

1606 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Arguments for libertarianism philosophy

POLT 1070 Mrs. Ajala Yassin Mukhaeir 23rdth April 2015 John Lock: Second Treaties on Civil Government: Chapters 7-19 The author: John Lock was a English Philosopher and physician. He studied medicine and had a major impact on the scientific revolution. He laid the foundations of for the enlightenment and made major contributions towards the development of liberalism (he was known as the founding father of political liberalism). He developed the theory that a person is born a blank page with his knowledge and character being formed through his experiences. He influenced the United States founding documents through his political theory of government (a government is a tool that aims to protect life, liberty and the estate). He provided an early …show more content…

In a lawful conquest the conqueror should not overpower those who conquered with them. The conqueror should only use despotic power against the government that waged war not the entire population unless they support the government’s unjust war. Lock is strictly against the unjust use of force under any circumstance. Despotic power is the right that a just conqueror has over a unjust government in which a conqueror can seize an aggressors property as long as no one else (such as the aggressors family have a right over that property). Usurpation is changing the leadership of an aggressive government without altering the form and laws of that government. Only the people have the right to confirm their leader and choose the type of government they are governed by. A good leader works for the benefit of all people and abides by legislative laws while a tyrant while a tyrant acts on his own benefit and breaks the law whenever it pleases him. An executive body falls into tyranny whenever it stops working for the benefit of the people. When a government descends into a state of tyranny it should be dissolved and replaced. Then the people should work on re-establishing a civil society and legislation which suits their best interests. Allowing people to change their own legislation leaves no room for rebellion. The people are the ones who should judge whether their leader should be overthrown …show more content…

The book was written to justify King Williams’s revolt and resistance to King James II. Lock wrote against the pro-absolutist theories of Robert Filmer and Thomas Hobbes. The author repeated and put emphasis on his main points (The people are the absolute power in a society, equality and freedom of men, a just leader acts for the benefit of the society while a tyrant acts for his own benefit and unjust conquest is never justified) which are the main advocates for a just civil society. After establishing the difference between a paternal and civil society, Lock lays out the foundations and laws of how a government should rule internally and externally. I agree with the arguments that Lock is putting forth but believe that they can only be applied in certain cases and fully realizing them is very difficult. They are generally applied all over the western world (the best example would be Switzerland where the majority of the population directly and fully participate in the legislation and execution of the laws). In most countries this form of democracy is very difficult to fully realize; in the U.S although there is a well governed democracy with laws, security and public participation as well as an elected government the general masses have no power over certain matters (especially foreign affairs). Almost ever since

Show More
Related
457 Words | 2 Pages

With his Investigating skills and writing skills he showed the people the corruption of the government. After people read about the corruption, they came out ways to prevent the corruption. They came out with the 17th amendment and Sherman Anti Trust Act. Legacy and Lasting

Read More
627 Words | 3 Pages

Often writing about his views on the abomination that is slavery, he began to write other works such as the renown Common Sense. Being the English-American political activist, philosopher, and revolutionary he was; he was an influence to many and an outgoing character. From his writings to his actions; he played an important role towards America's independence and development.

Read More
1224 Words | 5 Pages

He is one of only two men who signed three of the most important documents is the creation of America: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Being a chairman of the Continental Congress’s Finance Committee, he was trusted with traded with foreign countries, and handling the country’s finances. His knowledge of money management helped him save the country from financial crisis a few times. This title, however, also earned him many enemies because other jealous individuals felt he was only doing it go gain money and not from his loyalty to his nation. He loved his country and always remained extremely loyal to it.

Read More
777 Words | 4 Pages

John C. Calhoun was born on March 18, 1782 in Abbeville district, South Carolina. He was born to a wealthy family that had recently moved from Pennsylvania. He enrolled in a local academy at eighteen years old and attended Yale College two years later. After college, Calhoun spent a year at law school and studied in the office of a member of the Federalist Party. He was elected to the South Carolina state legislature in 1808 and to the United States House of Representatives in 1811.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

It is understood that John Locke played a key role of influence on Thomas Jefferson. This influence can be seen through Jefferson’s writing on the nation’s founding document. This document is called the Declaration of Independence. John Locke, the English Enlightenment philosopher wrote his Two Treatises of Government to refute the belief that kings ruled by divine right and to support the Glorious Revolution of 1688 (Doc 1). This piece of political philosophy provided many explanations for the people’s rights and obligations to overthrow a corrupt government.

Read More
310 Words | 2 Pages

One parallel between Lock’s work and the Declaration of Independence would be “When he who has the supreme executive power neglects and abandons that charge… the people are at liberty to provide for themselves, by erecting a new legislative, differing from the other, by the change of persons, or form, or both, as they shall find it most for their safety and good” (Locke’s Second Treatise of the Dissolution of Government Sec. 219-220). Whereas, the Declaration of Independence states, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government …” What these two quotes state is that when people feel their rights are in jeopardy and feel unprotected

Read More
1053 Words | 5 Pages

A number of factors played a part of choosing what government the founding fathers would choose. At first, they established the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were ratified during war with Britain, so it was set in a war based aura. It allowed the country to conduct foreign affairs, declare war, and make treaties. It could not collect taxes, but the states could.

Read More
904 Words | 4 Pages

Also, how would they get a job to provide for their family without hands? Another example is paragraph 4 of document B. It states, “ … If the rulers do not esteem my words, … If he destroys the law then I have given you, … may the great gods of heaven and earth … inflict a curse … upon his family, his land, his warriors, and his troops.” This is basically saying that if the upcoming king does not agree with some of the laws, that he can’t change them, even if he thinks it’s unfair to his subjects. The next King should be able to tweak the laws a little if he disagrees. Some people may claim that that Kings’ can do whatever they want but, Kings’ should do what is best for the citizens, and punishing them harder than necessary is not going to benefit their kingdom.

Read More
703 Words | 3 Pages

Defining the role of a legitimate government is an ongoing debate that merits close inspection. In the story of “the Great Declaration”, King Wu overthrows the Shang Dynasty and its leader King Shou after deeming his predecessor as illegitimate in the eyes of Heaven. King Wu finds King Shou to be unrepentantly selfish, egotistic, and cruel, leading to no other option than a coup. The Great Declaration explores the concept of legitimacy of governance and comes to the conclusion that a government deserves to be overthrown should it make no attempts to benefit its citizens in tandem with an unrepentant demeanor towards reconciling such an attitude. Throughout “the Great Declaration” King Shou repeatedly demonstrates a lackadaisical attitude towards his citizens.

Read More
1425 Words | 6 Pages

When the United States was being founded, the men charged with the creation of this novel system of government drew inspiration from a number of well-known English political philosophers. One of the most overt influences, not merely on the Constitution, but even the Declaration of Independence, was John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. His depiction of both the State of Nature and its transition into civil society served as the mirror to the American notion and understanding of the purposes of government. Another less discussed but no less intrinsic influence on the founding document came from Thomas Hobbes in his work, Leviathan.

Read More
1441 Words | 6 Pages

When comparing the two different accounts of English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke we must take into consideration a number of things such as the age in which they lived and the time in which they produced their philosophical writings. We will however find out that these two philosophers actually have a couple of things in which agree on even though most of their opinions clash. On one side we have Thomas Hobbes who lived in the time of the English Civil War (1642-1651) who provides a negative framework for his philosophical opinions in his masterpiece Leviathan and who advocates for philosophical absolutism . On the other side we have John Locke, living during the glorious revolution (1688-1689) he presents a positive attitude in his book The Second Treatise of Government and advocates for philosophical and biblical constitutionalism. It is important that we know that the state of nature describes a pre- political society prior to the social contract.

Read More
551 Words | 3 Pages

The Common Sense pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine he was an editor for the Pennsylvanian magazine. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. These two authors, Paine and Jefferson got their ideas from the Enlightenment philosophers Voltaire, Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. One philosopher’s ideas that was found in both documents was Voltaire.

Read More
548 Words | 3 Pages

“When the people fear their government there is tyranny:When the government fears the people there is liberty”. This quote by Thomas Jefferson best describes the vision our Founding Fathers had for our country. This way of thinking led them to write the Declaration of Independence in protest of King George III tyrannical government. Our Forefathers borrowed from the teaching of an ancient Greek philosopher named Plato and his student Aristotle. They believed that a tyrannical form of government was the least likely to prevail because one person that has all of the power is more susceptible to making mistakes and abusing power.

Read More
678 Words | 3 Pages

The people have the right to choose their leaders through election , whom they want to rule their government. Since the ruling leaders are selected by people through election, leaders feel an obligation & social responsibility towards their citizens . Due to the fact that elected leaders are bound to face an election after a certain tenure period, democracy prevents monopoly of ruling leaders. Leaders will do their best for the people, if not, they may not remain in power after their tenure ends. On the other hand , in absolute monarchy , the government system is led by a single monarch who generally rules the country until death and are not chosen or elected by the people of the country.

Read More
632 Words | 3 Pages

Introductory Paragraph (description of theory) John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) is a English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers and known as the "Father of Classical Liberalism”. Locke got a scholarship to Oxford University where he spent 30 years at Oxford, studying, tutoring, and writing. He wrote influential political science and philosophy. Locke 's famous theory had to do with the Social Contract theory. The Social Contract covers the origin of government and how much authority a state should have over an individual.

Read More

More about John Lock Civil Government Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document