Naturalist and political philosopher John Locke was present to witness these events and was so compelled by them , he wrote what is known as the Second Treatise on Government. ... To Locke, a Government existed, among other things, to promote public good, and to protect the life, liberty, and property of its people.
What was the purpose of John Locke's Two Treatises of Government?
“Two Treatises on Government” was published anonymously in 1689 shortly after the Glorious Revolution which disposed King James II. The book served two purposes. It was designed not only to challenge common notions, but to introduce people to a broader thinking on governmental rule.
What inspired the Second Treatise of Government?
Locke's philosophy was deeply religious and deeply influenced by the events that unfolded during his life in England . As such, he tried to understand the essence of government and the reason why it existed in his work, the Two Treatises Of Government.
What government did John Locke believe in?
Locke favored a representative government such as the English Parliament , which had a hereditary House of Lords and an elected House of Commons. But he wanted representatives to be only men of property and business. Consequently, only adult male property owners should have the right to vote.
In simple terms, Locke's social contract theory says: government was created through the consent of the people to be ruled by the majority , “(unless they explicitly agree on some number greater than the majority),” and that every man once they are of age has the right to either continue under the government they were ...
When did Locke wrote Second Treatise of Government?
Two Treatises of Government, major statement of the political philosophy of the English philosopher John Locke, published in 1689 but substantially composed some years before then.
Will John Locke agree to like people like government?
Locke believed that in a state of nature, no one's life, liberty or property would be safe because there would be no government or laws to protect them. This is why people agreed to form governments . According to Locke, governments do no exist until people create them.
How has John Locke influenced our government?
His political theory of government by the consent of the governed as a means to protect the three natural rights of “life, liberty and estate” deeply influenced the United States' founding documents. His essays on religious tolerance provided an early model for the separation of church and state.
What are John Locke's 3 natural rights?
Among these fundamental natural rights, Locke said, are “ life, liberty, and property .” Locke believed that the most basic human law of nature is the preservation of mankind.
Did Locke believe in democracy?
Unlike Aristotle, however, Locke was an unequivocal supporter of political equality, individual liberty, democracy, and majority rule .
Social Contract. John Locke's idea. It was an agreement which had a purpose that the government is to protect the people's natural rights in exchange for that protection , the people give up their less important freedoms. You just studied 4 terms! 1/4.
(1) Hobbes' sovereign is not a party to any contract and has no obligation to protect his citizens' natural rights. (2) Locke has two contracts (between citizens and citizens, and between citizens and the government) in place of Hobbes' single contract (between citizens to obey the sovereign).
There are many different versions of the notion of a social contract. ... John Locke's version of social contract theory is striking in saying that the only right people give up in order to enter into civil society and its benefits is the right to punish other people for violating rights .
Why did Locke believe in democracy?
In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke identified the basis of a legitimate government . According to Locke, a ruler gains authority through the consent of the governed. The duty of that government is to protect the natural rights of the people, which Locke believed to include life, liberty, and property.
What was John Locke known for?
John Locke was an English philosopher and political theorist who was born in 1632 in Wrington, Somerset, England, and died in 1704 in High Laver, Essex. He is recognized as the founder of British empiricism and the author of the first systematic exposition and defense of political liberalism .
