John Locke On The Second Treatise Of Government

The Literature:

Over the decades, there has been an immense amount of literature resources on religious freedom. As one of the most important thinkers of the past five centuries, known for his dedication to individual liberty, government by consent, the social contract and the right to revolt against governments that endanger the rights of citizens, John Locke’s legacy fight for freedom lives on today through his major works on the Second treatise of government and his letter concerning toleration. The Second Treatise of Government puts people in command of their own sovereignty. His fundamental argument states people are equal and their natural rights are invested in a state of nature where they live free from outside rule. Before the existence

Natural law governs people’s behaviour, as such power is limited without the protection of an authoritative head to protect their property and defend their liberty. Locke insists on a civil state that is built upon the natural rights of the people that will allow the executive power as its protector of liberty, where government is there to serve on behalf of the people. It should be noted that Locke’s interpretation of freedom and liberty are in direct association with equality. He describes freedom as “not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will of another man” (Locke, Treatise, 17), describing the distribution of equal power. Liberty and freedom can only co-exist in a state where they are applied evenly, or risk its existence for a tyrant in a state of war. In spite of the protection of individuals by the legislation, inevitably in conflict is unavoidable, if not between governments then amongst the people. This would require the state to

The rise of critical theories against the freedom to express religion openly, widens the gap for reconciliation between cultures of differences, an addition to the current contention involving the traditional understanding of religion and the right to abortion and game sex marriage. Although the term ‘human rights’ has its equivalent in many languages, the understanding of what human rights means is subject to debate and controversy. For some in non-Western societies, the discourse of human rights is a product of the West and Western civilization. It is based on the idea that individuals possess rights simply by virtue of being human (Saeed, 2004, 9). Freedom of religion is seen as one of the element of human rights addressed in major religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The right to freedom of religion is perhaps the oldest human right recognized internationally. In the context of the West, the international document enshrining the Peace of Westphalia, in which accorded international protection to religious groups, was signed in 1648. In the 18th century, the right of religious liberty added dynamism to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Bill of Rights 1776, the Austrian Act of Religious tolerance of 1781 and the Virginia Statute of