Explain John Locke's Justification Of Wealth Inequality

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Locke’s Justification of Wealth Inequality John Locke's justification in regards to the concept of inequality and property is found in his book, "Second Treatises of Government." It is usually based on two strands that include man's labor and the effect that it has on his environment and the concept that man lives in a state of nature and there is a need to have a government that is mandated with ensuring stability and security within the society. His view is that it is possible for property to be legitimate despite the fact that God gave the earth to man to use in common. It is evident that one of the main problems that were faced by Locke was that of explaining how resources that are commonly available to all men can become legitimate and private when they exclude the rights of other people. Locke starts his argument basing it on the fact that each person has one form of property that cannot be owned by any other person and that is the personality regarding one's body, the actions, thoughts, and beliefs. The concept of labor is used to explain how a man can acquire the right to posse’s objects and be able to create property. Labor is conceptualized as ranging from simple acts of …show more content…

In this view, he argues that despite money being a good way to get round the difficulties associated with the storage of property, the consequences are many as it permits people to accumulate the products of their labor and acquire wealth that is more as compared to the less talented or fortunate. Similarly, the uncontrolled accumulation of wealth puts unending pressure on the natural resources, which makes it less likely for others to amass the same wealth as the rich in the society. The inequality in property ownership is what brings about the concept of people being adversely affected by disputes and increasing concern for personal

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