John Locke Utilitarianism

1072 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Isa berlin theory of liberty

States are created on the foundation of rights, and laws are set up to protect the natural rights of citizens. The political philosopher John Locke built his theory of rights based on the idea that every man was created equal, meaning there was no natural hierarchy; therefore, we all have the right to "life, liberty, and property." (Wolff,2016,17.)This line of thinking created the idea of Natual Law that there should be a protection of humans because they are God’s creations. As ideology secularised the religious justification of rights naturally shifted to the idea of positive law, which is still reliant on the idea that there is no natural hierarchy because the earth common ground to of all humanity. Based off the needs of humanity positive …show more content…

Meaning individuals were only limited in their rights as long as their actions didn't interfere with another's purist to "life, liberty, and property" (Zalta,2016.) While the overall goal of rights is to protect the lives of the citizens of a state, there is no obligation to the state to interfere with the citizen’s private lives. Similar to the logic used by Locke to debunk the theory of utilitarianism, that the state cannot try to promote happiness, the application of the same argument proves that the state cannot enforce certain ideals of liberty onto citizens. Similar to the concept of happiness there can be no universal definition of freedom. If the government only enforces the majorities belief of liberty will lead to the violation of the minority rights. (Tuckness,2016.) Using Locke's argument one can say that the state has no obligation to create laws that will put their definition of liberty onto their citizens. As long as the laws and the state protect the lives and property of the citizens they are morally …show more content…

Author, Isaiah Berlin wrote in his essay Two Concepts of Liberty “what is freedom to those who cannot make use of it? Without adequate conditions for the use of freedom, what is the value of freedom? (Berlin, 1969,124.) The point that Berlin makes is the crucial one; there is no point of even discussing what liberty and justice if the environment that people are living in is hostile. As mentioned several times the state is the only thing that can protect the “lives, liberty and property” of humanity and the rules that it creates and enforces is what creates the environment that makes such questions about freedom possible. (Wolff, 2016,17.) The very act of transcending laws based on moral rights is paradoxical because it puts the lives of every citizen at risk, which goes against the rudimentary understanding of

Show More
Related

  • Hunger Games vs Red Scare

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...n a government is the group that states what is to be socially acceptable and what is not, it greatly hinders a person ability to act as an individual. Whether it is the fear of being classified as abnormal, false or unjust imprisonment, or making a show out of large groups of the abnormal people, it is all in order for the government to maintain control. Within both of these contexts it is more important for there to be a strong central government than to allow a person to truly be an unique, which in return takes away what is considered to be a persons right.

    Read More

  • John Locke Natural Rights Analysis

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to John Locke everyone has natural rights. John Locke came up with natural rights, by thinking about what they could be for a long and vigorous time. Locke said that natural rights are “life, health, liberty, and possessions” (9). Life is something that no one can take away from anyone. Locke said, “no ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possession” (9). Life is not an absolute right. An example of this is if there was a train full of ten thousand people about to hit a rock, and you are by the switch that could save the ten thousand people, but if you use the switch you are killing a twelve-year-old girl on the other track. Liberty is doing what ever someone wants to do, and they can’t be punished for

    Read More

  • Procedural Limitations

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    Civil liberties, as denoted in the Bill of Rights, had limited the government’s actions by providing “freedoms from” (Professor Krieger) the government. Because the government could not take away the people’s rights, the Bill of Rights was a list of “thou shalt nots,” which “limit[ed] its [the government’s] jurisdiction” (Lowi pg.107). A famous substantive limitation, or a restriction

    Read More

  • Hobbes and Locke

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of Locke’s broadest conclusions is his definition of the role of the state. He defines the states only real role is to ensure justice is done based on what he states are unalienable rights granted to all: life, liberty and the pursuit of estate. Because society has given birth to the state to defend these rights that define justice, society also grants legitimacy to the state. We see echoes of Locke’s theories manifested in societal archetypes like democracy and perhaps even certain anarchist theories.

    Read More

  • On Utilitarianism

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Utilitarianism, J.S. Mill gives an account for the reasons one must abide by the principles of Utilitarianism. Also referred to as the Greatest-happiness Principle, this doctrine promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people. More specifically, Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, holding that the right act is that which yields the greatest net utility, or "the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain", for all individuals affected by said act (Joyce, lecture notes from 03/30).

    Read More

  • Unalienable Rights Essay

    504 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Thomas Jefferson, all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights. Unalienable rights are rights given to the people by their Creator rather than by government. These rights are inseparable from us and can’t be altered, denied, nullified or taken away by any government, except in extremely rare circumstances in which the government can take action against a particular right as long as it is in favor of the people’s safety. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America mentions three examples of unalienable rights: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I believe these rights, since they are acquired by every human being from the day they are conceived, should always be respected, but being realistic, most of the time, the government intervenes and either diminishes or

    Read More

  • Utilitarianism In John Stuart Mill

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Stuart Mill argues that the rightness or wrongness of an action, or type of action, is a function of the goodness or badness of its consequences, where good consequences are ones that maximize the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. In this essay I will evaluate the essential features of Mill’s ethical theory, how that utilitarianism gives wrong answers to moral questions and partiality are damaging to Utilitarianism.

    Read More

  • Utilitarianism

    2011 Words  | 5 Pages

    The most important question of all is what should one do since the ultimate purpose of answering questions is either to satisfy curiosity or to decide which action to take. Complicated analysis is often required to answer that question. Beyond ordinary analysis, one must also have a system of values, and the correct system of values is utilitarianism.

    Read More

  • Philosophy: John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    Philosophy has offered many works and debates on morality and ethics. One of these works is the concept of utilitarianism. One of the most prominent writers on the theory of utilitarianism is John Stuart Mill. He suggests that utilitarianism may be the guide for morality. His writing on utilitarianism transcends through the present in relation to the famous movie The Matrix. In the movie, people live in a virtual reality where they are relatively happy and content and the real world is filled with a constant struggle to survive. The movie revolves around Neo, who tries to free people from the virtual world in which they live. In light of utilitarianism, freeing these people would be morally wrong. In this essay, I will first explain John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism and some objections it faces. I will then talk about utilitarianism’s relation to The Matrix and why it would be morally wrong to free the people and subject them to the real world.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: Basic Rights Of The British Colonies

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    In our Declaration of Independence, it quoted "All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" -Thomas Jefferson (Massachusetts Historical Society). It does not seem right that our government has decided to remove our basic rights and force us to stay under their control. We either want liberty or death. These basic rights have helped with the creation of our beautiful country of the United States of America.

    Read More

  • John Locke and The Egalitarian Principle

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    Considered to be the ‘Father of classical liberalism,’ John Locke established the core values of classical liberalism, which included liberty, individualism, protection of natural rights, consent and constitutionalism. Classical liberalism that developed in the United States focused on a ‘minimal state’ in terms of government restriction while John Locke centralized his focus on the social and political means of the individual. Generally, egalitarianism is defined as “a belief in human equality in terms of social political and economic affairs.” Under this standard, John Locke cannot be labeled an egalitarian in all terms since he does not believe in equality of persons in all aspects. John Locke’s form of classical liberalism can be best categorized as egalitarian because of his emphasis on the idea of tabula rasa, equality of opportunity and natural rights.

    Read More

  • Utilitarianism

    1254 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many essays, papers and books written on the concept of right and wrong. Philosophers have theorized about moral actions for eons, one such philosopher is John Stuart Mill. In his book Utilitarianism he tries to improve on the theories of utilitarianism from previous philosophers, as he is a strong believer himself in the theory. In Mill's book he presents the ideology that there is another branch on the utilitarian tree. This branch being called rule-utilitarianism. Mill makes a distinction between two different types of utilitarianism; act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism. Rule-utilitarianism seems like a major advance over the simple theory of act-utilitarianism. But for all its added complexity, it may not actually be a significant improvement. This is proven when looking at the flaws in act-utilitarianism and relating them to the ways in which rule-utilitarianism tries to overcome them. As well one must look at the obstacles that rule-utilitarianism has on it's own as a theory. The problems of both act and rule utilitarianism consist of being too permissive and being able to justify any crime, not being able to predict the outcomes of one's actions, non-universality and the lose of freewill.

    Read More

  • Mill On Liberty

    332 Words  | 1 Pages

    English philosopher, John Stuart Mill’s work, On Liberty, is one of the most classical text that influenced modern Liberalism of the nineteenth century. The question he was struggling with is, when the government can legitimately restrict your freedom by imposing and enforcing laws. Always, never, only sometime? The legitimate way of proposing this question might be: what is the proper scope of criminal law in a just society? Mill offer a well-known and quit simple answer, if your action harm someone else, then the government can legitimately step in and stop you from doing so or punishing you if you do but only if that said action harm someone else or about to harm someone. If the action by a single person only harm that single person, then

    Read More

  • Negative and Positive Freedom

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tom Paine described the state as a “necessary evil”. It is necessary in that it establishes order and security and ensures that contracts are carried out. Yet, it is “evil” since it enforces collective will upon society, thus constraining individual freedom. Negative freedom also supports economic freedom.

    Read More

  • Negative and Positive Liberty

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    Berlin defines an individual’s negative liberty as the extent of the sphere in which he is “left to do what he is able to do or be, without interference by other persons” (169 ). By tying liberty fundamentally to the absence of (“freedom from”) coercion, proponents of negative liberty generally maintain that the defining characteristic of an infringement on liberty is the “deliberate interference of other human beings” (169). (However, Berlin seems to concede that relaxing the deliberateness of the interfering agents’ actions does not substantially alter this concept of freedom.) Negative freedom by Berlin’s definition, then, plainly does not constitute the affirmation of human potential in any sense. We are free if and only if we are unimpeded in the pursuit of that which is doable; if we take Berlin at face value here, whether and to what degree we actualize our capabilities in reality is entirely irrelevant to the question of liberty in the negative sense.

    Read More

More about John Locke Utilitarianism

Open Document