John Locke's Ideal Form Of Government

Locke on Property John Locke, philosopher and founder of liberalism employed philosophy and religion to stablish an ideal form of government; which served as the base of the principles used by the Founding Fathers, when creating the Constitution of the United States. Locke asserts that the doctrine of property helps stablish the fundamentals of a systematic and competent government. In the Second Treatise of Government, Locke debates how the preservation of property is the Government’s most eminent function. From this notion, He emphasizes the importance of Political power, describing this as “a right of making laws with the penalties of death, and consequently all less Penalties, for the regulating and Preserving

Locke expands on the idea that “No man but he can have a right to what that is once joined to” (Locke, CP14). This emphasizes that every man has a property within his own person, and that labor is the determinant force of property. Even though property is entitled to mankind, the property acquired by one’s work and labor is independent from the consent of mankind. One is the owner of whatever one works to obtain, and of the means he used to obtain it. He then argues that appropriation of goods does not require the consent of the people since one individually works to fulfill one’s needs. Even though one is the owner of one’s work, Locke says that we can appropriate things but if they don’t deplete. As Locke refers to the state of nature, a state where everyone is free and everyone is entitled to everything equally, Locke says that “the Law of Nature gives us property but also bounds it.” This highlight how God Gave land to men to use for their benefit and therefore everyone is entitled to make use of whatever is given to us. This notion goes back to the question posed by Locke on how does one define individual property if property is preserved to all mankind. In answering this theory, to preserve individual property, a governmental authority is needed. As he mentions, “For in government, the laws regulate the right of property, and the possessions of land is determined by positive constitutions”( Locke,CP21) The role of Locke’s property doctrine is a way to emphasize the need for a set of laws that protects man;s property and solves the problem presented