John Locke's Impact On Politics And Society

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Recommended: American Revolution JOHN LOCKE

Joshua Pazvakawambwa
HONS 106
Dr. Markovic & Dr. Jeroncic
29 January 2014

Politics & Society! Is it all About “Rights?”
Have your rights ever been violated in any way that you’ve reacted by exercising whatever power you have. Or rather, the question is what are your rights? This question has been the basis of many political and societal battlefields. Politics and some societies are there to protect your rights while others are there to blemish them. John Locke a 17th century philosopher is one influential key turner who impacted our understanding of rights. Locke having served as advisor to statesman Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury realized that the issue on the people’s rights was not being addressed well. He went on to study and develop his widely questioned but reasonable views on nature and human rights from a political sate perspective.
Locke’s philosophy was influenced by political theorist Thomas Hobbes and Sir Robert Filmer. Locke’s argument was that authority did not belong to the state but the people. The supremacy of the state could only be guaranteed by civilians. This concept is what he defined as natural law by saying “preservation of all mankind, the execution of law of nature” (Second Treatise of Government, Sec 7). This statement in wholesomeness initiated a whole new way of thinking, it presented a new definition for rights. Man ought to shun from being subjected by other individuals thus the whole intent was to respect one another privileges to liberty, life and property. This view of human rights law had always been there but it had not been expressed in this way before.
Locke drew most of his ideas from Hobbes but tried his best not to be inclined to his coherent philosophy. We need to port...

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...nd Citizenship Rights. People were blessed with a special mark from birth, that of rights, these rights could not be alienated away from them.
Locke’s philosophy has undoubted influenced the society of today to recognize that governments need not to be abusive. Society has the role to support the government if it acts in accordance with their rights. If citizens of a government are not satisfied it’s in their utmost interest to diffuse the government and form a new one. “When a King has dethroned himself and put himself in a state of War with his People, what shall hinder them from prosecuting him who is no King?”(Second Treatise of Government, Sec 239). This theory is what led to the formation of the Revolutionary act. It was Locke’s thoughtfulness that saw the need to have people dispose authentic kings from power by having the citizens engage in radical actions.

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