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John Locke's Two Treatises Of Government

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Locke's exile came to an end with the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when William of Orange invaded England and James II fled to France. With the establishment of parliamentary rule in England, Locke was able to return home. His influential works, including "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" and "Two Treatises of Government," were published during this period. Locke's ideas on empiricism, religious tolerance, and the role of the state continue to shape Western philosophy and establish him as one of history's most profound thinkers. Locke on Human Understanding John Locke's monumental work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, delves into the core aspects of cognition, language, perception, and the mind. This four-volume work represents …show more content…

He argues that individuals have the right to own the products of their labor, including land and its produce. This right is rooted in the idea that God created humans with the freedom to pursue their interests, as long as they respect the natural order and do not harm others. According to Locke, the primary role of government is to protect the natural rights of its citizens, including the rights to life, liberty, and property. While individuals may give up some of their rights in forming a government, the state's power to protect these rights should be greater than that of any individual. If a government fails to fulfill its duty to protect these rights, Locke argues that it is the moral duty of the people to rebel against it. Locke believes that government should exist to promote the well-being of its citizens, both materially and spiritually. A good government, in Locke's view, should provide its citizens with a level of freedom that is consistent with the natural law ordained by God. This includes the freedom to pursue one's own interests and to enjoy the fruits of one's labor. Locke's Two Treatises on Government were written during a time of political turmoil in England, but they were not published until later, after Locke had returned from exile. Despite this, Locke's ideas had a profound impact on Western political philosophy. His emphasis on individual rights, the social contract, and the right to rebellion against unjust government has influenced political thought to this

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Locke believed that it is people’s inherent right to govern themselves. He “championed the social contract and govern­ment by consent”. (Steven) He even went so far to say that people did not need to be governed. All that government is is a framework by which people protect their natural rights, but it only needs to exist in practice.

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Locke specified fundamental natural rights as life, liberty and property. By life, Locke expressed that an individuals have both a right and a duty to preserve their own lives; by liberty, Locke argued that individuals should be free to make choices and how to live their own lives without interfering with the liberties of other; by property, Locke meant that land and goods could be sold, given away, or even taken away by the government but more specifically, property also referred to ownership of one's self and the right to well

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As Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” by stating this he’s saying no matter how powerful our government is it is still his job to protect our inalienable rights. The next topic that John Locke said impacted the Declaration of Independence was about if our government didn’t do its job to protect those rights he shouldn't be in our government. Another reason for the government is to put a stop to anything that is blocking people from their rights. As John Locke said in his Second Treatise of government “Society created order and grants the state its [purpose]… the only important role of the state is to ensure that justice is seen to be done”. The conclusion of this is that government is there to protect you, your rights, and

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The philosophe, John Locke, believed that individual freedom would create a much better government. Locke argued that are free in a state of nature and that they have the right to preserve that freedom. The easiest way to do that is to create a legislative branch that makes the laws. To also make an executive branch that carries out those laws (Doc A). If the government is failing them, they have the right to prevent that failure.

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John Locke’s ideas influenced the creation of the American Government by creating writings which influenced many Enlightenment thinkers. John Locke wrote “TheSecond Treatise of Civil Government”to justifythe Glorious Revolution of 1688–89.John Locke discusses men's move from a state of nature considered perfect freedom to a civil government in which the authority is vested in a legislative and executive power. Locke defines political power as the “right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property. ”John Locke then wrote an “Essay Concerning Humane Understanding”which concerned the foundation of human knowledge and understanding. John Locke discusses that “God is an inborn idea, Locke counters that God is not a universally accepted

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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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The Federalist Papers contains eighty-five essays that were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under their pen name of “Publius.” The Federalist Papers were written to urge the citizens of New York to ratify the new United States Constitution. The essays were published to the New York newspapers between October 27, 1787 and May 1788. The title was not originally “The Federalist Paper” but just “The Federalist.” Three men that were under the pen name Publius wrote 85 essays and out of three papers, they are generally considered to be one of the most important contributions to the constitution are the Federalist 10, 30, and 51.

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Locke believed that people were born with natural rights that included the right to life, liberty, and property. Locke argued that people formed governments to protect their natural rights, so the best kind of government was one with limited power and was accepted by all citizens. Locke said that a government has an obligation to the people it governs, therefore, the people have a right to revolt if the government fails at its obligations. Like many other Enlightenment philosophers, John Locke’s ideas reflected on the checks and balance system as well as the Declaration of Independence. For example, in the Declaration of Independence, it says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

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In “Two Treatises on Government” Locke stated “MEN being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of his estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.” When Locke wrote this his meaning was that without a government there would be chaos and every man for himself or the so called state of nature. The government to Locke was that whoever signs into this contract will live under peace and civil life, but will not have full freedom because they have to abide by the rules in order to keep a civil life.

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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

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If the government fails to fulfill its role in protecting the rights of its citizens, then the people have a right to revolt (Locke 1689). The concepts of natural rights and the social contract would go on to change the hearts and minds of American colonists and founding

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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.

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One of the first rights is the natural right to life. Life is probably one of the most important and foundational, (mostly because if a person does not have a life they no longer have the ability to defend their own rights, or auto-represent themselves,). The second right is liberty. Liberty in Locke’s perspective, looking at it historically, Locke lived in a society that had prevalent society and large populations of people without religious freedom and political independence. Between Slavery, indentured servitude, and religious persecution, Locke witnessed prevalent, systematic, culturally and economically embedded violations of liberty.

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Short Answer Questions: John Locke published his Second Treatise of Civil Government in 1690 and two years earlier, the Glorious Revolution had occurred, ousting the very unpopular King James II. He was replaced by King William III and Queen Mary. His specific motives for writing this Treatise was to support the Glorious Revolution and justify the resistance to King Charles II. He also sought to refute the pro-Absolutist theories of Sir Robert Filmer, which he and his Whig associates felt were getting too popular for his liking. Locke refers to the laws of nature in order to define political power.

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Locke's most important and influential political writings are contained in his Two Treatises on Government. The first treatise is concerned almost exclusively with refuting the argument that political authority was derived from religious authority. The second treatise contains Locke’s own constructive view of the aims and justification for civil government. According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one's life as one best sees fit, free from the interference of others. This does not mean, however, that it is a state of license: one is not free to do anything at all one pleases, or even anything that one judges to be in one’s interest.

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