John Locke: Social Contract Chapters 6-8

In the beginning of the Second Treatise, Locke lays out his theme of his political theory, which is in order to preserve the public good, the main function of government is the protection of private property. Each individual is created equal and has the liberty to act as they want without any interference from any other individual. The one thing that prevents this system from chaos is that every human has the capability of reason.

Chapter VI Of Parental Power

Locke begins Chapter VI by saying that the power of parents does not lie entirely with the father, that the mother has a role in raising a child. Locke says that if you were to consult reason or revelation, the mother has an equal role in the parental power.

Since children are not born to a full state of equality, though they are entitled to it, parents have some sort of rule and jurisdiction over them when they are brought into the world, but only temporarily. As age increases, so does the grasp of reason for the child, and eventually the parental power is obsolete and it leaves the now grown man, at his own free disposal. All parents are under an obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate their children because they are accountable to God for the way their children act and participate in society. The children in return have the obligation to honor their parents throughout their lifetime.

Locke's points in Chapter VI are these: Since man is born ignorant and without the use of reason, man is not free. So, it is the obligation of the parents to "rule" over the child while the child grows and gains the ability to reason. Locke says that we are born free as we are born rationally. Which means that as we grow in age, so do we grow rationally and thus we become free. But, it is the obligation of the parent to guide the child, and the child must honor their parents for life. If there is someone through what Locke calls defects that may happen out of the ordinary course of nature that is unable to reach rationality and thus knowing the law, then that person is never free and will always have be under the government of others, mainly their parents.

Chapter VII Of Political or Civil Society

Locke says that God made man not to be alone, thus putting man under certain obligations of necessity, convenience, and inclination to drive him into society and the understanding and means to enjoy it.