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Essays on critics of locke's social contract theory
John locke philosophy
John Locke on human nature
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Throughout history, there has been abundant ways in where philosophers try to change people’s perspective on certain topics. One of the well known men was John Locke; he was an English philosopher (1632-1704) who had different positive views regarding human nature. In addition, Locke strongly believed in natural rights of life, liberty, & property, and thought that all humans are all the same and that we are all born free, to do what we all desire without having to ask for permission to anyone, and also equal which meant that no none is to have no natural or political authority over one another. Thus, Locke believes that we are all born with three natural rights. He also held the belief that government has a moral obligation to guarantee …show more content…
Furthermore, he was the first one to introduce property and the its provisos for just private right, these were that there must be enough to left for others, and that one must not let it spoil, and most of all that one must make its labor with it. On what is Property? Locke started to discuss the means of Property, by referring to the theory of “patriarchalism”, which said that only an absolute monarch (Adam) would have any right to property because God gave Adam total control over all the land. Locke could not engage into this theory and didn't agree to it. Locke argued that property is formed of a man’s life and his possessions. Therefore, he discussed that God provided for mankind all the same to have/own property. One of Locke’s statements that he discusses is that of an individual’s own person. Example, when an individual takes away something from nature through his/her hard work, it will not be considered as “common property” of all mankind no more, because it would belong ONLY to himself. For instance, If an individual picks up (fruits) under a tree, the so called fruit will automatically belong to him at the moment they were gathered, rather than at the …show more content…
Locke begins his argument by describing a type of property against which no other individual could possibly have claim in a world of political equality, which is the property that each individual have in his “own person”. Locke strongly believe of the idea of one having a property in oneself. Locke came up with the idea of self-ownership when he used it to explain how each man has a right to possess objects outside of one's self, on What is Property he states that,“This no body has any right to but himself. The labour of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his. Everyman has a property in his own Person. Whatsoever then he removes out of the state that nature hath provided, and left it in, he hath mixed his labour with, and joyned to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property. It being by him removed from the common state nature placed it in, it hath by this labour something annexed to it, that excludes the common right of other men”.(Locke, pg 254) This shows that that property is formed of a man’s life and his possessions, and so God provided for mankind all the same to have/own
...s his argument by emphasizing the absolute reason on why property is solely for the use to produce goods and provide services by farming one’s land or building infrastructures; nevertheless the overuse of one’s land exhibits what Locke calls waste, whereas the consumption of goods for the use of trade can result in bartering and wealth. The introduction of wealth creates the motivation for people feel compelled to protect their wealth which leads us back to the concept of entering into a civil or political society for security. Locke believes that civil and political society can ensure the stability, security, and social structure of any given society; but he points out that if the government becomes a tyranny or corrupt only than shall the populace exercise their right to question the authority and overthrow if needed.
Locke clarified the problem by pointing out his notions that mostly derived from the natural state of human beings. Each man was originally born and predestined to have his own body, hands, head and so forth which can help him to create his own labor. When he knew how to use his personal mind and labor to appropriate bountiful subjects around him, taking them "out of the hands of...
John Locke, an English philosophe, like many other philosophes of his time worked to improve society by advocating for the individual rights of people. 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. The greatest change to government Locke states as necessary, “(W)hen the government is dissolved [ended], the people are at liberty to provide themselves, by erecting a new legislative [lawma...
John Locke was an English philosopher who lived during 1632-1704. In political theory he was equally influential. Contradicting Hobbes, Locke maintained that the original state of nature was happy and characterized by reason and tolerance; all human beings were equal and free to pursue "life, health, liberty, and possessions." The state formed by the social contract was guided by the natural law, which guaranteed those inalienable rights. He set down the policy of checks and balances later followed in the U.S. Constitution; formulated the doctrine that revolution in some circumstances is not only a right but an obligation; and argued for broad religious freedom.
What John Locke was concerned about was the lack of limitations on the sovereign authority. During Locke’s time the world was surrounded by the monarch’s constitutional violations of liberty toward the end of the seventeenth century. He believed that people in their natural state enjoy certain natural, inalienable rights, particularly those to life, liberty and property. Locke described a kind of social contract whereby any number of people, who are able to abide by the majority rule, unanimously unite to affect their common purposes. The...
First, Locke believes that everyone has the opportunity to cultivate the land that they own, which ideally is a proportionate share of the surrounding environment, and nothing more (Locke, Sec. 36). Locke’s theory of property is not just relative to physical entities, it can be an intellectual entity as well. An individual may have certain experiences and knowledge, develop theories and come to their own conclusions. Publishing said works are seen as property in the eyes of Locke as well. Another strength would be the logic of Locke’s argument, if you input your labour, that commodity becomes your own. Truth of this can be seen in section 33 of Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government, when Locke suggests that labour increases the value of land exponentially because when people own land themselves, they are more likely to increase the productivity of that land. According to Locke, the true value of land does not stem from the land, rather the labour invested in it. Locke’s theory however, does not take into account the processes in which someone becomes an owner. One of the main stances Locke outlines in his theory of property is that he equates property to being a natural right. Locke deems the right to private property to be equally important as life and liberty, however they cannot be
In order to examine either philosopher’s views on property and its origins, it is necessary to go back to the beginning of human development, as it were, and discuss their different conceptions of the state of nature. As opposed to Hobbes whose vision of the state of nature was a state of war, Locke’s state of nature is a time of peace and stability. “We must consider what State all Men are naturally in, and that is, a State of perfect Freedom…A State also of Equality, wherein all the Power and Jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another.” (Locke, Second Tre...
Explaining how a person obtains the right to property through labors acts. Locke explains if a person puts the effort to take a product out of nature, he in turn, has gained the benefit of his labors making that person the owner of that property that was once in nature. Furthermore, explaining that each man has the right to property for his own person. No other man can infringe on the natural right of personal property. However, one cannot benefit from his labors too much. Locke explains that greed is not a natural right of men, thus, if one has too much property from his labors he should share and not let the product spoil. From what a person produces he cannot benefit from becomes property of the common person. Same with land, if one has too much land to which he cannot tell and it is left unused, it should be given to someone who can use the land to better mankind. For these reasons, a check was made on the amount a person can own or benefit from the fruit of a person labors. Locke explains one must consent with fellow commoners on what a person should own so no man can have too much. Locke’s end was to allow for private property, however, waste was not a right he saw for the common man. A society based on flourishing and enough to live a comfortable life, that no man or government could infringe on, was the end Locke saw to meet with his writing through Natural and Divine
In this state of nature, according to Locke, men were born free and equal: free to do what they wished without being required to seek permission from any other man, and equal in the sense of there being no natural political authority of one man over another. He quickly points out, however, that "although it is a state of liberty, it is not a state of license," because it is ruled over by the law of nature which everyone is obliged to obey. While Locke is not very specific about the content of the law of nature, he is clear on a few specifics. First, that "reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it" and second, that it teaches primarily that "being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life liberty or possessions." Hence, right from the beginning, Locke places the right to possessions on the same level as the right to life, health, and liberty.
John Locke asserts that all men are equal and no one has power over another. According to John Locke everyone is born with the same capabilities. Someone only has authority over a person, if God bestowed that power onto them. Also in the state of nature, Locke asserts the law of reason is the law that governs over everyone. Reason is the law that teaches people that everyone is equal and no one should harm someone else’s liberty, life, or
The liberty described by Locke would be lost under the system because people would inevitably have too much freedom, making the protection of property difficult. It becomes evident that laws are needed to protect the property of the people, and Locke seems to agree. This statement means that while people have obligations and freedoms that come from the state of nature, individuals also have obligations. Locke claims that government arose because of the instability of the state of nature, in which individuals and their property were under constant threat. He also asserts that individuals freely decided to give up some of their rights to a central authority, seeing that there were benefits in giving up some of their rights to gain something else.
Locke theorizeds extensively on property, privatization, and the means an individual can use for increasing his property. Initially, in the state of nature, man did not own property in the form of resources or land. All fruits of the earth were for the use of all men,“and nobody has originally a private dominion, exclusive of the rest of mankind, in any of them, as they are thus in their natural state” (Locke 353). In this state, people could appropriate only what they could make use of. It was unfair for one person to take more than he could use because some of that natural commodity would go to waste unless another man might have made use of it for his own benefit (360). Locke felt that God gave the bounties of nature to the people of earth and they, by default, should treat these bounties rationally. This rationalistic theory discourages waste.
When analyzing the approach or intentions of the theorists, big dilemmas and questions arise. Such is the case with John Locke and Immanuel Kant, both falling under the concepts of freedom. Locke, having a perspective similar to that of a libertarian’s, argues for rights of possession and limited government intervention, but the difference to his philosophy is that he “does not assert an unlimited right of self-possession” (Sandel 104). In other words, we may not do with our bodies as we please. Locke also argues that an unowned thing becomes your property through the fruit of your labor. In a literal sense, Locke’s theory calls for respect for humanity, but perhaps his biggest problem is the way he proposes his philosophy. Locke believes in the sacredness of human life, and with his ideas he invokes God (Sandel 104). This is where the biggest question arises when reflecting on his theory. Many people are nonbelievers and others have variant beliefs. Suggesting a theory with religious background may not necessarily appeal to the public, especially in a pluralistic society. In addition, Locke’s claim of ownership following labor is not necessarily correct. Consider picking up flowers in an open field. The flowers, or what you claim ownership of, were the fruit of your labor (harvesting), but that does not necessarily mean that they are yours. The very vast and flexible definition of justice and ethics described by Locke leaves open many loop holes. Kant disagrees with Locke, utilitarians, and libertarians. He argues for a philosophy founded on humans being “rational beings worthy of dignity and respect” (Sandel 104). Kant disagrees with ideas of the good-life as well, and his philosophy is founded on three principal contrasts: morality, freedom, and reason. In terms of freedom, one is only free when
Locke’s theory of property is one of the greatest works of political history, of strong merit and in principle lays out an egalitarian foundation of property ownership. This derives from the fact that Locke was a liberalist firmly believing in equality for all. In his two treatises of government Locke (1764:216/222) believes that ‘God gave the world to men in common; but since he gave it them for their benefit, and the greatest conveniences of life they were capable to draw from it, it cannot be supposed he meant it should always remain common and uncultivated’. This statement lays the groundwork for his theory since he views the earth to be god given for human consumption. In practice however this theory contains flaws as not everybody can acquire private property. Furthermore the outcome of his theory, it can be argued endorses
First, to understand any of Locke’s arguments it’s essential to know what exactly he means by the state of nature. In Locke’s terms the state of nature is “That is a state of perfect freedom of acting and disposing of their own possessions and persons as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature”(Locke). The definition continues to state that people in this state are equal and all power is reciprocal amongst the people. However, one key fact to keep in mind is that Locke makes a point to distinguish although the natural state of humanity does not have an institutionalized form of government that doesn’t necessarily mean the community is lawless. However, in this state no one has the political authority to dictate onto others, but everyone has the right to justice and punish others for breaking the laws in the state of nature. This is due to “The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it” meaning no one has the right to harm another’s “life, health, liberty, or possessions”(Locke Ch. 1). This law of nature Locke put forth in order to prevent from what he calls a state of war, in which people experience aggression towards one and other and violate the laws of