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Summary Of John Locke's Second Treatise

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Some of the points covered by John Locke in The Second Treatise -
State of Nature - Human beings are born with some natural rights and they have no right to violate the right of others. As long as individual lives by the laws of nature and peace prevail they are pleased to do as they like.
Conquest and Slavery – God created all human beings equally, to live freely without being held captured is the birthright of all. All of us are entitled to self-ownership since slavery violates self-ownership.
Property - Humans have the right to own private property.
Representative Government - The sole purpose of government is to look after the well-being of all. The government can only be in power with the consent of the …show more content…

As long as individual lives by the laws of nature and peace prevail they are pleased to do as they like. Under these laws, people have right to protect themselves and their property. In order to be a part of the civil societies, people are willing to exchange some of their natural rights to be protected under the law of land. Their right to liberty and right to property should be protected. The government has power over people with the sole purpose of protecting and working towards to well-being of all. Locke's idea is that of a civil state, based on the foundation of natural rights which are common to all where the government protects and works for the welfare of all. In case the government does not benefit people then it can be …show more content…

Locke’s idea of the three division of government powers between legislative, executive, and federative which were later reformed got adapted in the American Constitution and still exists.
After the collapse of monarchies and empires and people wanted the government’s sole purpose to be the welfare and well-being of all, failing to do so had the consequence of being overthrown which was also the right of people. In recent times on such example is the country of Romania wherein due to failed government, there are massive protests. To a lot of extent, his vision of government has been fully realized, but as the societies keeps changing there is still more to attain Yes, this reading is still relevant to contemporary times. especially when the whole world is changing so dramatically. This helped me understand how the societies we live in came to be, all his ideas are still relevant to this date and forms the crux of world democracies and still exists in our Constitution of USA. This is still relevant with regards to how we think civil societies and governments should function. Somewhere these ideas inspired the new world order. If these ideas are practiced by all this world would become a much better place to live. Especially

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Locke believed that the government was to protect the people’s natural rights. On the people’s behalf they must follow the laws of the land. The Declaration of Independence says “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive …, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it…” Locke states, “…that he who attempts to get another man into his absolute power, does thereby put himself into a state of war with him...” and create a new political system.

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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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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

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In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke revealed his interests in new science, developing theories of education and knowledge (SMW, 34). One of the main points in his Treatise is that of the law of nature, where all men are in natural state of perfect freedom (SMW, 34). Locke argues, “Men being…by nature all free, equal, and independent,

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It is evident that John Locke’s role in political philosophy is prominent and has significantly aided the development Western government. Overall, Locke believed that if a society could facilitate a government that didn’t violate anyone’s right to life, liberty, health, and possessions, they would all live a life of

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John Locke had the idea that if the government was unfit to rule and not protecting the rights of the people, then the citizens had the right to overthrow the government. This is shown in America when Americans wrote the Declaration of

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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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Locke helped shape the United States government and many other nations governing systems around the world. Locke believed all men were born with the rights of life or your natural rights of liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and a government should protect and respect the rights of individuals. Under the protection of your government he believed “whom the society hath set over itself, with this express or tacit trust, that it shall be employed for their good, and the preservation of their property: now this power, which every man has in the state of nature, and which he parts with to the society in all such cases where the society can secure him, is to use such means, for the preserving of his own property, as he thinks good, and nature allows him; and to punish the breach of the law of nature in other” (Document C). By introducing natural rights the common people gained more power through an equality between all men. Natural rights gave people the right to possess and protect their own property both physical items and personal ideals.

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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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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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John Locke was a 17th-century philosopher and political thinker who created the basis of republican government and inspired the Founders of the United States, in particular, Thomas Jefferson. In agreeance with Thomas Hobbes’s theory of the origins of government coming into existence due to mankind in the form of social contracts, he argued that since people created government it should thus do what the people demand and protect their rights. This is detailed in his famous work Second Treatise of Civil Government in which he argues that rulers are given power through consent of those governed and thus must protect their human rights, which he believed included life, liberty, and property. If government were to fail in protecting those rights, the people had the right to overthrow the existing government for one which would uphold order and provide and protect those rights. He also argued that government had immense power that could be abused and lead to dangerous outcomes such as controlling those governed.

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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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John Locke is an enlightened political philosopher whose explanations to his ideas remains profoundly influential. Locke believes people should have the right to do anything they want without the government enforcing them to do a task. In The Second Treatise, Locke discusses some vital concepts of his thinking, beginning with a discussion of the State of Nature. He explains that humans move from a state of nature characterized by perfect freedom and are governed by reason to a civil government in which the authority is vested in a legislative and executive power. In the State of Nature, men are born equal, to have perfect liberty to maintain.

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A gun is a weapon to kill, whether it be people or animals, its original purpose is to end life, or, at least, cause bodily harm. A gun can be used for many different outcomes intended by the users, but intentions are different than purpose. Once that is clear, what can be brought to the table is whether or not citizens should have the need for guns. What citizens need a gun for is self defense, a person has the right to defend their life, along with their way of life. The second amendment states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”.

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