Tyler Windsor History 102 Steve Stager February-March 2014 John Locke John Locke wrote a government idea in the 17th century that many people today would think is the idea of a fool. He thought that the government needed to stay out of the way of the lives of others and let the natural rights take place. Locke thought that the people were good and could live just fine without the government trying to control their every move. Locke implied the government is intended to be an instrument for the people and they could adjust or change the instrument as needed to best fit their needs (Pourly 2) He thought, the government needed to be less, the people needed to be more. People worried that not all mankind were alike and some were cruel, and horrible. Locke talked about a government that needed to stay out of the lives of the people that it was governing. He thought it was to controlling and made too many regulations on the everyday activities that people did. For example, it taxed everything, told people were to live, how to work, what they can and can’t do (Pourly 4). He just thought it was enough and they needed to go back to the way they used to live. Or they needed to redirect the way it was to a more democrat system. Locke knew all men were created equally and that no man should be more powerful then the next so, in his head why did the government have to be in control and take over so much power (Long 8) Natural rights for man kind worked for so many centuries such as places like North America when the Native Americans lived here. Locke thought that the natural rights were to be brought back to them then, they would soon figure out how to live as one and reconnect to each other through; life, liberty and property (Pourly 9).... ... middle of paper ... ... seen from one door to the other. Locke saw that the issue with the people were not each other but, they saw what was making them tired and worn down with the rules and regulations. (Braman 04). In a state of nature, each man, as the possessor of reason and free will, is cognitively independent and equal, and so, by implication, politically independent and equal (Braman 07). Locke knew that men were there own learning tools within themselves. Not only did they learn from there mistakes, which was known for centuries, but, they also grew from one another and took what they needed for there own well mental development (Braman 09) Just like mankind has been doing for as long as anyone can remember, they have been working there owns ways of life out for themselves and to learn from one another and not from someone or something telling you how you should be living.
John Locke is considered one of the best political minds of his time. The modern conception of western democracy and government can be attributed to his writing the Second Treatise of Government. John Locke championed many political notions that both liberals and conservatives hold close to their ideologies. He argues that political power should not be concentrated to one specific branch, and that there should be multiple branches in government. In addition to, the need for the government to run by the majority of the population through choosing leaders, at a time where the popular thing was to be under the rule of a monarch. But despite all of his political idea, one thing was extremely evident in his writing. This was that he preferred limited
John Locke strongly believed in more rights for the people and was against oppression. In his book, Second Treatise on Civil Government, Locke stated, “(W)e must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose [manage] of their possessions. . .” (Document A). Locke means every man is naturally equal, no one was created better and he has certain guaranteed rights. This helps society because it would deny a monarch to strip a person of their guaranteed rights and it would make the monarch less powerful and his/her power would be given to the people.
1. First of all, John Locke reminds the reader from where the right of political power comes from. He expands the idea by saying, “we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit.” Locke believes in equality among all people. Since every creature on earth was created by God, no one has advantages over another. He makes a strong suggestion by saying, “that creatures of the same species and rank, should also be equal one amongst another, without subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another, and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty.” For people to confirm the state of Nature, a law is set that obliges people to follow and consult it. The Law of Nature brings many things that need to be followed by each person. Locke describes the law’s consequences if not obeyed by saying, “the execution of the law of Nature is in that state put into every man’s hands, whereby every one has a right to punish the transgressors of that law to such a degree as may hinder its violation.” Every law is fair and equal to every person. As you have equal rights, you may also be punished equally if you don’t obey it.
He says the people have the right to amend or eliminate the government and create a new one that will work in the best interests of them and protect their safety and pursuit of happiness. Locke states this idea, but in a different way. In his article he refers to this as the authority to penalize a crime, to protect mankind by having the authority to prevent something from occurrence. In other terms of this the public can modify, eliminate, or generate innovative laws and government.
Andy Smith J. Ward February 17, 2014 History 102 Revolutionary Thinkers Locke versus Smith John Locke and Adam Smith were critically acclaimed to be revolutionary thinkers and their thoughts and reasons have very good reasons backed up with ways to describe the Economy and the Government as inefficient or wrong in their Era of their lifetime. John Locke and Adam Smith are both believers that the government should be active in supporting social and political change in the economy. Both Locke and Smith’s thoughts can be equally said revolutionary in comparison, but in terms of what era they lived in and more history that has happened to see more mistakes to correct what happened and possible future outcomes for a clear revolutionary though I believe Adam Smith’s ideas were more revolutionary and his dominant ideas that have helped what we think is the way we do things in todays economy. Smith's influential work, The Wealth of Nations, was written based on the help with the country’s economy who based it off his book. Smith’s book was mainly written on how inefficient mercantilism was, but it was also written to explain what Smith thought was to be a brilliant yet complicated idea of an economic system based on the population and the social ladder.
Locke believes that humans inherently possess complete and inalienable equality in the state of nature. “A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank, promiscuously born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same faculties, should also be equal one amongst another. ”2 Locke suggests that a civil government has an obligation to treat its citizens equally because humans are equal in the state of nature, and it would be both morally wrong and difficult to find willing subjects if they are denied equality under the government’s rules. authority.
From this new movement of thought came two of many men with the most influential thoughts of all time. Thomas Jefferson and John Locke restructure civil and political society, according to their principles, they became visionaries of a new government established on the prominence of human nature and an enlightened society. (cite 1) Locke and Jefferson wrote documents proclaiming Freedom for all. Locke stated man should have a natural right to life, liberty, and property, and Jefferson stated, mankind had inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
John Locke, one of the leading philosophers of the European Enlightenment was very important when it came to political thought in the United States. His ideas of the reasons, nature, and limits of the government became especially important in the development of the Constitution. In one of his most famous writings of that time, Two Treatises on Government (1689), Locke established a theory where personal liberty could coexist with political power ; meaning that the people would agree to obey the government and in return, the government would have the responsibility of respecting the people’s natural rights. In other words, he laid out a social contract theory that provided the philosophy and source of a governing author...
Locke believes that everyone is born as a blank slate. According to Locke there is no innate human nature but human nature is something we create. And because we are born as an equal blank slate all men have the opportunity to create human nature therefore Locke believed all men are created equal. Unlike Bentham Locke believed that government needed to take a step back and allow for each individual to have the right to three things: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The Governments role should not be in dictating people what to do but to allow individuals to their three
Like all Puritans, John Locke believed that all men were equal although, Locke also believed that people had individual rights, which could determine their fates. Lock believed that men have the right to do what they want with what God gave them. One of Locke’s main arguments was that men had the right to transform things such as land in to something useful and have the right to develop this land. This belief by Locke deals with the rationality of taking land, such as the Indians, if the land isn’t being used efficiently. This view is very different than what most Puritans believe and signifies a slow change in the thinking at the time.
Locke used the arguments that a government is nothing if it is not supported by the power of its citizens. He argued that the citizens of the government were not well represented in the government so it was justified to be overthrown. This is what he thought about the overthrowing of King James of England in 1688. Locke argued that if the people in a country were to dissolve then the government in that country will also dissolve. He saw a country as a big group of people with similar views. He talks about how society decides to act as a whole group. When they split apart is when society becomes different groups and the government then falls. Many colonists were from England and witnessed or knew about the Glorious revolution and felt like they were mistreated the same way the people of England did at that time. Locke’s ideas played a major role in influencing the colonists to realize they were not being treated fairly and they had a right to fight for freedom to create their own
During the 18th century there was a time period that was know as the Enlightenment Era. Now this era was very important in changing how us as humans thought and how are perspectives were centered. Now these changes wouldn't have been possible without the contribution of philosophers throughout society. Among these philosophers was a unique man named John Locke. John Locke’s point of views were rather seen as optimistic and good for all. He seemed to favor the view of mankind. Throughout the passage he describes how men live by a traditional Christian morality. He talks about the state of nature and state of war which are vastly mentioned on his conclusions.
America was not always the “land of the free,” but it has always been the “home of the brave.” Tensions between the British government and the American colonists had been gradually rising as each major event hit the colonists harder and harder each time, so many men believed this was an appropriate time to express their opinions. There was a period was known as “The Age of Enlightenment,” and a result of this era was John Locke’s Social Contract. Little did Locke know that this document would end up as the foundation of American independence. The frequently known concepts originating from John Locke are those of life, liberty, and property, but two of his other statements include: the idea that the only important role of the state is to ensure that justice is seen to be done and that if the absolute power abuses his power the people would have the right to even kill such rulers and their servants. These ideas inspired Thomas Jefferson to include a summary of those ideas in The Declaration of Independence which would eventually lead to the liberation from the power of the British government.
...tainly possessed these qualities of life even with all is idiosyncrasies Locke believed we were all created equal that this was “self-evident”. Locke’s’ reason was to abide by the laws of God as well as the government. He thought that we should be mindful of how we treat ourselves and others at all times for as long as we live. . As a result of Locke’s views, he established “New liberties that would be enshrined in civil, social, and political rights”. (Biblical Politics pg. 95) “Although Locke’s new political order left individuals free from subjection to authority and helped overcome gender and similar barriers to personal and social advancement, this order also became problematic: a new-found emphasis on reason ultimately led to a disruption in the human spirit and to new forms of social isolation”.( Biblical Politics pg. 95-96)
During the 17th century, most countries were being ruled by a single monarch. There was no power given to the common people of society. Thus, many common people were subjected to the abuse of a monarch’s power. John Locke was an important philosopher at this time because he saw a vision that was not traditionally talked about or expressed before. John Locke describes his ideal society in his book The Two Treatises of Civil Government: