ipl-logo

John Locke's Two Treatise Of Government

247 Words1 Pages

John Locke was an English Philosopher whose belief on government and the people challenged the long-established ways of thinking about society and government, but influenced the founding fathers especially Thomas Jefferson who to put Locke’s ideas into his own document about the foundation of the United States.

The Glorious Revolution in England during the late 1600s that John Locke witnessed, compelled him to write the Two Treatise of Government, integrating his beliefs that “the state of nature has the law of nature to govern it … all men are equal” in his work of political philosophy (Locke 1).

Locke suggests that humans are not inferior to each other even though Absolutism was the traditional way of ruling. He believed that the human government should not be based off of divine right, but should be based off of human nature. Locke argued that since everyone holds the executive capacity of the natural laws, all people should be respected of the rights that they have as individuals. …show more content…

In the modern world today, John Locke’s renowned work of political philosophy is seen in Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, a document written in the late 1700s, pushing for equality that inspired the foundation of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was greatly influenced by the thoughts that were first penned by John Locke and wrote about how “all men are created equal,” corrospondingling to Locke’s work (Jefferson

Show More
Related
525 Words | 3 Pages

It is understood that John Locke played a key role of influence on Thomas Jefferson. This influence can be seen through Jefferson’s writing on the nation’s founding document. This document is called the Declaration of Independence. John Locke, the English Enlightenment philosopher wrote his Two Treatises of Government to refute the belief that kings ruled by divine right and to support the Glorious Revolution of 1688 (Doc 1). This piece of political philosophy provided many explanations for the people’s rights and obligations to overthrow a corrupt government.

Read More
511 Words | 3 Pages

John Locke, a 17th century philosopher from England, was a man who contained many ideas and theories on how particular civilizations should operate. John Locke philosophized “that there was an unspoken law amongst men known as “The Law of Nature” (“state of nature” Locke). The “law of nature” depicts a community in which there was only moral law. Thus the “law of nature” portrays a “state of perfect freedom where all men share their equality” (“state of nature”4). This statement basically states that “no one has power over another and are free (Locke 4)” to govern themselves accordingly.

Read More
544 Words | 3 Pages

From the late 1500’s to the late 1700’s, the Enlightenment period occurred. Thinkers and philosophers across Europe created ideas that changed the way people thought. For example, John Locke thought of the idea that everyone had natural rights. These rights consisted of the right to life, liberty, and property. Voltaire had the idea that the power lies in the hands of the people and their elected government.

Read More
595 Words | 3 Pages

Locke had stated that when an executive act for his own benefit, and not to serve the ends of the people. He “degrades himself” and becomes “but a single private person without power,” at which point he no longer has any right to rule over the people. Locke expresses the idea of rebellion against an unjust government. By giving the idea of rebellion, he also reveals that a human’s rights have changed over the years and that a man now has inherent rights. It was because of his declaration that the statement, “give me liberty or give me death,” become popular among the American people.

Read More
322 Words | 2 Pages

The rights of “life, liberty, health, and possessions” are an essential key in having a balanced life. The Two Treatises on Government written by John Locke, influenced most ideas in the Declaration of Independence and The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document influenced Enlightenment ideas such as religious toleration, the sovereignty of the people, press freedom, the right to rebel, and no taxation without representation. These documents helped create a better society in the word today.

Read More
1305 Words | 6 Pages

It’s been over 200 years since the original thirteen colonies of America fought their revolutionary war against Great Britain, in hopes of achieving their independence. We shall be going through a few areas of the Revolution, such as the military, social hierarchy, the role of men and women during the war, the colonists’ values of equality and their social contract response to the British government’s abuses, and we’ll compare these areas to the present day. The American Revolution started around April of 1775, when British redcoats and American militiamen exchanged gunshots in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. However, that was only the beginning of the fighting; the reasons for the war date from years prior, when resistance from the

Read More
542 Words | 3 Pages

John Locke in 1690 wrote Second Treatise of Government and in 1656 James Harrington The Commonwealth of Oceana. Both documents and the ideas contained within them challenged the current day social institutions and beliefs and helped the creation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights come forth. Using their ideas, the founding fathers of our country framed the Constitution and Bill of Rights to flow and work together to shape the society we live in today. Locke’s ideas centered around the protection of natural rights and the authority of the governing body.

Read More
767 Words | 4 Pages

Locke’s ideas from the Two Treatises of Government and An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, were based upon the natural rights where power comes from the people. Both of his pieces contributed to revolutions, most importantly the American Revolution as power from monarchies was removed and democracies were created. Allowed for limited government power and all obligations were to the citizens. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding basis was on how the knowledge existence of God, certain moral truths, and laws of logic or mathematics pertained to the natural rights of

Read More
896 Words | 4 Pages

Many of his thoughts and principles were studied and adopted by the founders of the United States and are evident in documents, just like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Locke emphasized the freedom of humans, the equality of all before God, regulation and authorities through consent of the governed, and he justified the overthrow of presidency when it fails the people. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was another prominent thinker from the Enlightenment era. Rousseau differed with Locke about the position of the individual in relation to the country, with Rousseau emphasizing the importance of the ruled being worried in

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.

Read More
1441 Words | 6 Pages

When comparing the two different accounts of English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke we must take into consideration a number of things such as the age in which they lived and the time in which they produced their philosophical writings. We will however find out that these two philosophers actually have a couple of things in which agree on even though most of their opinions clash. On one side we have Thomas Hobbes who lived in the time of the English Civil War (1642-1651) who provides a negative framework for his philosophical opinions in his masterpiece Leviathan and who advocates for philosophical absolutism . On the other side we have John Locke, living during the glorious revolution (1688-1689) he presents a positive attitude in his book The Second Treatise of Government and advocates for philosophical and biblical constitutionalism. It is important that we know that the state of nature describes a pre- political society prior to the social contract.

Read More
551 Words | 3 Pages

Locke is a founder of the Common Sense pamphlet. He believed in government ruled by people. “He expressed the radical view that government is morally obliged to serve people, namely by protecting life, liberty, and property. He explained the principle of checks and balances to limit government power. He favored representative government and a rule of law.

Read More
1227 Words | 5 Pages

John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu were political philosophers that debated the question of who was best fit to control the government. Locke and Montesquieu shared similar political beliefs such as natural rights and the separation of government powers. However, both philosophers did, in fact, have their personal views that helped them accomplish important achievements. John Locke published “Two Treatises of Government” and “ An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” which present a detail philosophy of the mind and thought. Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” lays out his philosophical project.

Read More
768 Words | 4 Pages

"Well, this is definitely a first," a booming voice sounded. It didn't really come from any specific direction either, it just seemed...present. "You know, I always thought your soul would look more....dazzling when you weren't actively trying to hide yourself." It looked like a throne room, except it didn't. The large "room" if one could call it that, was so massive it made the largest of modern sky scrapers look tiny.

Read More
632 Words | 3 Pages

Introductory Paragraph (description of theory) John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) is a English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers and known as the "Father of Classical Liberalism”. Locke got a scholarship to Oxford University where he spent 30 years at Oxford, studying, tutoring, and writing. He wrote influential political science and philosophy. Locke 's famous theory had to do with the Social Contract theory. The Social Contract covers the origin of government and how much authority a state should have over an individual.

Read More

More about John Locke's Two Treatise Of Government

Related Topics

Open Document