John Locke's Second Practice Of Government

In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke examines man’s transition from a state of freedom and equality, to a state of civil government with legislative and executive power. Locke believes that by nature people are free. He believes that people’s natural rights consist of life, liberty and property. He also strongly believes that laws and governing are only necessary where something goes wrong. With this being said, Locke thinks it would be only naturally right that no one man has more power over another. Locke says that, “all men are born in the exact same state, with no one individual having privileges or advantages over another.” Meaning that no one man can be in control of, or enforce rules upon another. Locke strongly thinks that all men are on Earth to preserve mankind, and should not damage the life, liberty, or possessions of another.

The act of punishing a man for his crime can benefit the people of the society by making an example of him in order to prevent future crimes. John Locke then decided that this form of government will not always work in favor of the people, and that eventually the natural state will get out of control. He decided that a Civil Government is needed where there is a legislative and executive, to make the laws and to enforce them upon the people. In this type of a government the people must agree to be governed, and cannot be forced into loyalty to the government. A Civil Government revolves around a bond of trust that has been made between the people and its authority. Nonetheless, if this bond is broken then the people have the right to terminate the