ipl-logo

Philosophies Of John Locke's Ideal Government

2598 Words11 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Compare political thoughts of john locke and thomas hobbes

Keegan Coppola
Mrs. Sauter
Block F/ World History
Semester 1 final
Philosophe
Three philosophers, three philosophies. They are all alike in some ways, although they seem very different on the surface. Each theory is well-intentioned and was truly expected to benefit the people. When designing a government, it’s impossible to please all people. So how can anyone create the perfect government? Each of these men attempted to create something that would suit their countrys5d. Thomas Hobbes believed that people are incapable of self-rule and need a monarch to make their decisions. John Locke believed that men are generally good and deserve certain rights. He also believed that the government was only present to protect those rights. Finally, Karl …show more content…

John Locke summarized his interpretation of human nature when he wrote, “The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of nature for his rule” (Locke 1690). Locke uses the words “natural liberty” which we know to be synonymous with “natural right”. Natural rights are rights that everyone is born with. No person or government can deny you of your natural rights. Locke’s ideal government preserved natural rights, such as “life, liberty, and property”. This phrase may seem familiar, as it has been slightly modified, and entered into today’s U.S. constitution. The preamble reads that all people have “certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The founding fathers were inspired by Locke’s perception of government and borrowed several of his ideas. Another of Locke’s ideas in practice in modern-day America, is expressed in this passage. This would be the concept of using legislature to protect the rights of the people. Since Locke states that it is the role of the government to protect its people and to keep their best interests at heart, he says that certain legal documents need to ensure that the government does not abuse their power. Today, the bill of rights protects fundamental

Show More
Related
890 Words | 4 Pages

According to Locke, the legislative power is the most important part of the government. Locke claims that their first rule is to preserve the society. The legislative body’s power and authority comes from the consent of the governed

Read More
1119 Words | 5 Pages

The Declaration of Independence says “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The unalienable rights that this excerpt is talking about are derived from John Locke’s theory of natural law that says no man should have their life, liberty, or property taken from them. The Constitution makes sure the government absolutely protects our natural rights, because if it doesn’t, it will be abolished by the people of the United States if they feel that it’s

Read More
965 Words | 4 Pages

Locke believed that everyone was born with the three natural rights life, liberty, and property. Life stands for people wanting to fight to survive, Liberty is for the people and what they wanted, Property is for the people wanting to do anything that appeals to them in order to survive and allows them to own their own things like land, food, supplies etc. i agree with this

Read More
559 Words | 3 Pages

Although, their views on the type of government and the natural rights of its citizens greatly differed, especially regarding the state of nature. The state of nature is an idea used in political philosophy that was used by Enlightenment philosophers. It’s a representation of human nature without society. Locke believed that “Men living according to reason, without a common superior on earth, to judge between them, is properly the state of nature.”

Read More
835 Words | 4 Pages

One of the biggest influences that John Locke had on President Jefferson was, what John Locke dubbed, “Natural Rights,” and what Jefferson called, “Unalienable Rights.” Meaning practically the same thing, these rights were very similar, and it is obvious that Jefferson’s version derives from Locke’s ‘Natural Rights.’ John Locke’s version stated that all peoples shall possess the following rights: Life, Liberty, and Property. In this case, life means, that people people will fight to live and want to survive. Liberty refers to being free, and being able to make one’s own decision.

Read More
562 Words | 3 Pages

The Bill of Rights was partially inspired by the musings of John Locke. When constructing these rights, the Framers understood that "bills of rights challenged kings to remember the Lockean truth that the people had fundamental rights granted by nature, rights that the government could not abrogate" (Fox and Pope 107). Various amendments in the Bill of Rights use Lockean language and support his ideals, such as Amendment V with Locke's ever-famous "life, liberty, or property" (Fox

Read More
1245 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More
1385 Words | 6 Pages

The rights he thought were inalienable was the right to life, liberty and property, he choose property because he thought if you have your own land you can make their own happiness,Later Thomas Jefferson turned it into Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those are the rights he thought you do not have to give up to the government because those are your rights as a citizen. People have noted that phrases from Locke’s Second Treatise of Government was found in the Declaration of INdependence. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet that stated reasons why they should break away from the British rule and since the Declaration was a list of reasons why the New World should break away from Great Britain, it helped establish the Declaration of

Read More
1735 Words | 7 Pages

He states “to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” In this statement, Jefferson contends that governments do not establish their authority from gods or kings, but instead by the willful submission of the people being governed, whereby they agree to give up some freedom in exchange for the protection of the balance of their natural rights. Jefferson’s ideas of natural rights are clearly influenced from “Chapter VII: Of Political or Civil Society” in John Locke’s publication Two Treatises of Government. In this chapter, Locke alludes to natural rights as life, liberty, and estate. The concept of life, liberty, and estate (or property) can most likely be taken to mean that individuals should have the right to live, the right to think however they want, and the right to labor.

Read More
1227 Words | 5 Pages

John Locke once said, "The end of law is, not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom."1 Throughout history, the fight for human rights has been an on going battle that has been reviewed and adjusted as time progresses. Before the Enlightenment, people believed the government was not protecting humans and their rights. In Europe during the 17th and 18th century, Enlightenment thinkers stepped out of boundaries and challenged the established order. The American Revolution and French Revolution were inspired by ideals of John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers.

Read More
477 Words | 2 Pages

It is the job of the government to maintain the “...preservation of the society, and… of every person in it” (Locke, Chapter XI). Locke refers to it as a house, if one does not have a stable foundation, then the house and all of its materials will crumble, but if one has a strong foundation and adequate materials then the house will be strong. Also, as he states in Chapter eight, the consent of the people is needed to establish a legislative power.

Read More
233 Words | 1 Pages

John Locke discusses within in his book, “Second Treatise of Government,” the concepts of natural rights of individuals as well as the legitimate exercise of political power. Within his writing, Locke links his abstract ideals to a theory of unlimited personal property wholly protected from governmental invention. This joining of ideas helps Locke make an argument against absolutism and unjust governments. In addition to his argument, Locke aims to explain how he believes that people have the right to rebel against their own government. In fact, he promotes people to rebel against their own government because everyone should have a government that they trust.

Read More
1426 Words | 6 Pages

There are many different ways to protect citizens like our Natural Rights Philosophy created by John Locke. The major purposes of government according to John Locke’s Natural Rights Philosophy is to protect our natural rights which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are unalienable which means that they are given to anyone and everyone no matter what. In the Supreme Court case Snyder vs. Phelps the Snyder family lost their soldier and son in a war in Iraq.

Read More
894 Words | 4 Pages

In his “Second Treatise of Government,” John Locke explores the crucial relationship and interplay between natural law and government authority, arguing governmental infringement upon natural rights not only justifies but deems revolution as a necessary course of action. Locke contends that these drastic measures are only warranted as a last resort in response to the government acting as a tyrannical force, rather than a protector of life, liberty, and property. Through careful analysis, Locke advocates for revolution with respect to practical implications. Locke’s theory of natural law forms the core for his support of revolution, emphasizing that governments must exist solely to provide a commonwealth that is advantageous to the people and

Read More
1740 Words | 7 Pages

Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau have become known as three of the most prominent political theorists in the world today. Their philosophies and innovative thinking is known worldwide and it has influenced the creation of numerous new governments. All three thinkers agree on the idea of a social contract but their opinions differ on how the social contract is established and implemented within each society. These philosophers state, that in order for the social contract to be successful people need to give up certain freedoms in order to secure fundamental protections from the state, henceforth the state then has certain responsibilities to their citizens. Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau all believe that before men were governed we all lived in a state of nature.

Read More

More about Philosophies Of John Locke's Ideal Government

Related Topics

Open Document