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John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

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Thesis Statement The surviving Nazi leadership’s defense team attempted to correlate their supporting argument with John Locke’s theory of government and property from “Second Treatise of Government;” however, in context, Lockean philosophy does not support the efforts of the Nazi leadership. The Nuremburg Trials took place during World War Two, and the Nazi defense team, led by Dr. Stahmer, attempted to use supporting theory from had many ideas from Lockean philosophy. The defense team stated, “This maximum is precisely not a rule of expediency but it derives from the recognition of the fact that any defendant must needs consider himself unjustly treated under an ex post facto law.” Consequently, per the defense team, the Nazis, who harmed …show more content…

Stahmer believed this utilization of judges was not just as these judges were not from a neutral party. Locke’s “Second Treatise of Government” supports this premise as it stated, “It is unreasonable for men to be judges in their own cases, because self- love will bias men in favour of themselves and their friends. And on the other side, hostility, passion and revenge will lead them to punish others too severely.” Thus, per Dr. Stahmer, the courts should have neutral representatives and judges to serve. Neutrality in courts is the only similarity between Locke and Stahmer. In reference to theories on government and property, these two men have conflicting stances. Dr. Stahmer believed no wrongdoing took place during World War Two, in particular with the Jews. Locke is a believed in equality of all people and in his book he stated, “It is also a state of equality, in which no-one has more power and authority than anyone else.” Jews in this time were treated like slaves because they could not make their own decisions and were forced to go to concentration camps. John Locke stated, “Freedom of men under government is having a standing rule to live by, common to everyone in the society in question, and made by the legislative power …show more content…

John Locke’s ideas were used by Dr. Stahmer in the Nuremburg Trials. Locke’s ideas were also contradicted Dr. Stahmer, because Locke feels that everyone is equal and would never help with hurting the Jews. Dr, Stahmer took Locke’s ideas with him in the trials and changed them to how he feels about the Nazis. I feel that their theories are the total opposite, and that they would never agree on the rights of the Jews and the Natural Laws that they should

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Do you believe all humans have the best intentions for others? Many people believe that we come into this world with only good inside of us, while others believe we all arrive good but our mindset is turned evil and self-obsessed throughout time as we grow older. In the 17th century there were many arguments on whether citizens should govern themselves or have a ruler to keep the citizens in control. Everyone has a clean slate at the start but the choices one makes can mold you into who you become later on. In the 17th century there were two philosophers, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, who both thought differently about human nature and the way some people are when it comes to money and power.

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John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were early English philosophers who each had very different views on the roles of the government and the people being governed. Their interpretations of human nature each had a lasting and vast impact on modern political science. Locke believed that men had the right to revolt against oppressive government. “‘Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”

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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,

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Locke also wrote, “But though men, when they enter into society, give up the equality, liberty, and executive power they had in the state of nature, into the hands of the society, to be so far disposed of by the legislative, as the

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Trapped, alone, hurt, betrayed. That is how the people of West Berlin felt when their communist brethren government, the East Germans, put up a wall around their city. This wall was dubbed the ‘Berlin Wall’. The beginning ideas, repercussions, and the fall of the wall are what make the Berlin Wall so interesting.

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John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.

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