John Locke's Ideas To Take Away The People Of China

John Locke, the English philosopher, was one of the best of the enlightened thinkers, and many of his ideas could help in today’s society. The main things John Locke advocated for are natural rights which are life, liberty, and property, and that these natural rights can not be taken away since people are born with them. Another topic Locke focused on was religious toleration, which allowed people to believe in a religion of their choice, and not be persecuted for it, since that is the way Locke was taught by his teacher, and thought everyone should have the same freedom. John Locke could solve the modern problem of China taking away the people of Hong Kong’s rights and freedom by applying his ideas of natural rights and religious toleration

Here in Hong Kong, the people’s natural rights are being taken away from them: “On June 30, 2020, the Chinese government imposed the draconian National Security Law (NSL) on Hong Kong with devastating consequences for human rights. Basic civil and political rights long protected in Hong Kong—including freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly—are being erased” (“Dismantling a Free Society”). Currently, in Hong Kong, the people have almost nothing since it is all being erased by China until they have no rights or freedom. John Locke advocated that people should have their natural rights of life, liberty, and property, and that they can not be taken from them since everyone was born with them and all equal through natural rights. The people of Hong Kong are supposed to have all their rights but China takes them away, “Under the Basic Law, Hong Kongers are supposed to be guaranteed freedoms of the press, expression, assembly, and religion, as well as protections under international law. But in

Locke says that human nature needs to stand up for their natural rights so they will not be taken: “In Locke’s view, natural rights rest on the fact that in the state of nature individuals can freely use whatever nature offers in the way of shelter, comfort and sustenance. Natural law says what is allowed and forbidden to people given how things stand in nature” (Grayling 224). Locke says people have the right to their own natural rights and how they should never be taken away from them, but if they have their rights taken away, they have to defend themselves for them. Humans should not let anyone or any nation try to take away their natural rights, which people get when they are born and have for the rest of their lives since they are God given. John Locke believed that there should be religious toleration and “When Locke began his studies at Christ Church the dean was John Owen, a one-time Presbyterian and a strong advocate of religious toleration…it was commonly believed that Locke had always favored religious toleration”(Griffin 378). While Locke was learning everything from John Owen at Christ Church, he was heavily influenced about religious toleration, and it stuck with him throughout his journey as a philosopher. He believed people should not be persecuted for the