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John Locke's The Second Treatise Of Government

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In John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government, Locke details the role of a government and the conditions under which it is just to resist one’s government. Locke asserts that the government’s duty is to preserve the rights and welfare of its subjects (Locke, 84). This shows that a government that doesn’t respect subjects’ rights is worthy of resistance, a concept still relevant today. Locke contends that a government can only rightfully prosecute those who consent to its rule when he rebuts the question (Locke, 70). In his opinion, a government has no power over foreign citizens. This argument could be used by anyone today who might commit a crime in a foreign nation. If they are not citizens of that nation, they could claim that they
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Both King Louis XIV’s Versailles and John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government are imbued with ideas that are substantiated by divine providence in one form or another. In Versailles, this idea is that of the King’s divine reign which validates Louis XIV’s kingship. Locke, on the other hand, suggests all men are born inherently equal into God’s state of nature and have a right to liberty. While both Locke and Louis XIV substantiate their arguments through divine authority, their claims as to what God ordains is markedly different; Locke is claiming that all people must adhere to the law of nature but can chose to consent to government—thus discrediting the divine right of kings which is exactly what Louis XIV tries to convince his subjects of

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The Primary objective of all leaders should be to control citizens. A society that allows authority to be challenged will never succeed. This source depicts an authoritarian or totalitarian view of what a governing body should look like. The author suggests that the primary objective of government should be the “control of the citizens”, and therefore that the individuals should entirely obey said government.

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John Locke asserted that government must come from the consent of the governed. The Declaration of Independence professed the right of all people to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution cemented the paramount prominence of general welfare for all United States citizens. Since our beginning, we the people have been a characteristically empathetic majority. But we have not always been a beacon of equality: the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the Stonewall Riots, and even current conflicts between the police force and black Americans exemplify the occasional rift between the government and the governed.

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New England was fed up with the Church of England and the Puritans wanted to recreate their own religion which they thought was more what God had believed was the intended belief. They both decided that neither of them like the way England was set up and said that England was no good for their beliefs. They planned to leave England and go to the new world to set up a life where their children had the chance to be raised in a perfect society with no corruption. Concentrated on town life and industries, they made a living off of fishing, whaling and shipbuilding. Whale oil was key because it made their lamps.

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Founders were also influenced by John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government where the idea of natural rights were introduced. John Locke believed all men were born with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. The Second Treatise of Government states, “all men is are naturally in: a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions as persons as they think fit… a state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is mutual.” By saying this the government cannot take away what the man was originally born with.

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In "Second Treatise on Civil Government (1689)" by John Locke, the philosopher states his theory about the origin of government was from the will of the people and that the people has the right to change their rulers and state. In order for a union to exist, people as a whole must be equal in the sense that social class does not affect ones influence on government because every person is born with the same opportunities. Unquestionably, we all have natural rights that law cannot take away from us, but there are some things that people must follow to keep peace in the state. Granted the people are who decide how government should be and who our next rulers, are but there are times where the state makes the wrong decisions and rebellions/revolutions

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Continuing on to the Social Contract, John Locke said, “Thus, when a king, (or president), loses the consent of the governed, a society may remove him.” This indicates that if the government infringes the people’s rights, the people, suitably, can execute the government and replace it. The Second Treatise is fundamental for our government because it places sovereignty into the hands of the people. In the Second Treatise, John Locke touches on essential matters on how a government should be structured and how it can protect its citizens rights. (The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter IV, 1632-1704), addresses our freedom that, “The liberty of man in society is to be under no legislative power,” and that “Nobody can give more power than he has himself.”

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Locke’s ideas were used in the Declaration of Independence, explaining why Americans opposed British rule. The king of Britain did not acknowledge the rights of the colonists, and imposed taxes and formed new laws without the agreement from the colonists to do so. John Locke believed that the duty of a government is to protect the natural rights of the people. These natural rights were the rights to life, liberty, and property. If a government failed to protect those rights, the citizens would have the right to overthrow the government.

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Nonetheless, if the government fails to protect our property or rights, we can rebel against him and remove him from his place. Locke’s law creates a government, that can run the society peacefully, and the law of the society is based on practical reasons. Locke thinks the majority rules is the best system of government. Locke has a positive view of ‘human nature’. He thinks men are good, and they are born with natural rights.

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Today's government is heavily affected by documents written many years ago. John Locke wrote The Second Treatise of Civil Government, which described the laws of nature and man along with previous governmental issues. Baron de Montesquieu, in The Spirit of the Laws, justifies his idea of a government with separate branches within it to help maintain structure. Finally, Jean-Jacques Rousseau elucidates the fact that all men will be truly equal within a society when they decide to alienate themselves. These three social contract theorists wrote important documents that heavily affected the Declaration of Independence as well as the Virginia Declaration of Rights and Thomas Paine's Common Sense.

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In the republic democracy of the United States of America, the Founders of our Nation created a system of separation of powers with checks and balances. Our Founders used the philosophy of John Locke in Second Treatise of Government, to give us our “natural rights” and what the state of nature means. For John Locke, the legislature and executive branches must remain separate, for a country to tread past the state of nature and into a governing body. He gives clear insight to what powers each of the branches should hold. Including what should happen in a civil crisis or emergency.

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Many laws citizens of America abide by today trace back to the philosophical ideas of Enlightenment thinkers from the 17th century. During this time period, the scientific revolution and absolutism sparked a movement in which new ideas and thoughts promoted challenging the government. People believed that if they could understand human nature, they could form the ideal government to rule over the people. Many different thinkers presented their own thoughts and beliefs on the people and their natural rights, along with how the people should be ruled. Of the many Enlightenment thinkers whose philosophies are found the Constitution, John Locke and Voltaire made the greatest impact due to their contributions in protecting the people’s liberties,

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in which he tackles problems concerning life, liberty, property, and, ultimately, the power that the people have over the government. However, to what extent can Locke?s beliefs be accepted? Can they justify peaceful protest? This essay will connect the beliefs expressed in

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If the government rests on consent, and if consent is ever removed, then the people have the right to revolt, to cast off one government and replace it with another government. The people get the idea of legitimate government of being limited. Government can’t do anything that’s limited in its powers, which come from its work. There is religious toleration, separation of church and state, which all comes from Locke, and the notion of constitutional democracies that limit

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Nicholas Vidrine Prof. Smith English 1158 13 March 2018 Why Co-ed Schools are Better Co-ed schools can be more beneficial than single sexed schools because it can lead to the development and growth with the opposite sex. I have experience from both sides of this topic and I feel that having a co-ed school makes the groups or friendships throughout those years of school worth it. When a student goes into a co-ed environment, they experience a new outlook on life because there is some sort of new competition or thought outlook on their lives. Getting involved into a co-ed school has many benefits and they will help you greatly later in life.

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