John Lockes Second Treatise on Government Lecture

The importance of John Lockes Second Treatise on Government can be seen throughout the history of the age of Enlightenment as well as the Revolutionary !merica" John Lockes philosophy helped our nations founding fathers argue for revolutionary change" Lockes ideas have been used as an essential guideline in our history# from$ Thomas Jefferson who uses John Lockes thesis paper to %ustify the !merican Revolution# to &artin Luther 'ing and the !frican !mericans struggles# to (ady Stantons struggle for womens suffrage" The idea for modern democracy came from the )*th and )+th century during the age of Enlightenment" ,hilosophers such as John Locke helped define the basic elements of democracy# including human rights and liberty" -emocracy guarantees basic human rights to every person. we the people have freedom of opinion# religious liberty# a e/ual right to vote and separation of powers" ar in

John Locke believes humans are driven from our emotions as well as our ability to reason" 0e says# 1The state all men are naturally in# is a state of perfect freedom"2 are given this freedom because God has given us the power to reason" 0e says# 1&an originally e3ists in a state of nature in which he need answer only to the laws of nature" 4n this state of nature# men are free to do as they please# so long as they preserve peace and preserve mankind in general"2 e

Looking throughout history and e3amining fundamental human behavior 4 do

agree with John Lockes ideas on human nature" 0owever 4 would also say that emotions and reason do not alone e3plain human behavior because deep down people have passions and drives that do not e3plain there choices" ,assion is a very strong emotion. you can see it at work when ,resident (linton risked his position in office for a love affair# or when a millionaire gives up their fashionable lifestyle to go travel the world"

4 do agree more with John Locke than with the earlier ideas of Thomas 0obbes" 0obbes believed humans are desire5driven" 4 do believe our desires are important but human emotions are the strongest driving points a human has" John Locke strongly believes that we are capable of self5government# because we have in our human nature the ability to reason" 0e says that humanity in general can be trusted# and %ust because one person is bad does not mean everyone else is bad"

John Lockes concept of human nature is the driving point for democracy"

must be able to understand and reason what human freedom is as well as the role we have in protecting human freedom" 6ased on Lockes thesis humans are free# and we are free to live# die and choose our own paths" This is shown by when he states 1that all men e3ist in a state of perfect freedom to order their actions# and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit# within the bounds of the law of 7ature# 844$ 9:"2 Locke defines property as 1to mean that property which men have in their persons as well as 8their: goods" 844$)*;: and that 1&an being born < =hath by nature a power not only to preserve his property# that is# his life# liberty# and estate<"2 844$ +*:"

4n John Lockes =The Second Treatise of Government e3plains the e3istence of

governments because they are necessary due to the fact that nature is full of continual dangers" >nly by banding together and forming social contracts can a society protect its members from those natural dangers" Therefore# man is willing to give up some of there natural freedoms# by entering into such social contracts and giving up limited amounts of his freedom# to be safe from the natural dangers and protect his life and his property"

Some believe that Lockes social contract demanded democracy# but Locke felt that a legitimate contract could e3ist between citi?ens and monarchies" 4t is because his ideas are considered to be the foundation of great democratic thinkers like Thomas Jefferson that we associate his philosophies with democracy"

4 do agree with Lockes assessment because it is human nature to ac/uire# hold on to# and protect ones property" 4 also agree that without the social controls put upon the population# human nature as well as the desire to possess property and to do as one chooses# would pose a threat to the safety of others lives as well as their property"

4 understand that democracy is collective# the word itself means. 1rule by the people"2 4 agree with Lockes view because every man is born with rights and we come together in society to share those rights and protect each others rights# even if that means we give up some of our rights in order to have a governing body" The ideas of John Locke are deeply rooted throughout history" !merica and our thoughts on modern day democracy would not be the same without his philosophy"

This relates to our nations views of government because the beauty of the !merican democracy is that it establishes our basic rights within the preamble of our constitution" The conflict between the natural human condition of those in government and the social contract with the citi?ens is that it enables them to govern" 4 believe that achieving a perfect government is impossible# even in !merica" 6ut# because the !merican constitution was founded on these basic principles Locke defines as e/uality# right to life# liberty# property# and the pursuit of happiness# we continually strive to improve the /uality of our government and its ability to protect and govern our citi?ens preserving their natural rights" 4t was because of John Lockes influence on philosophy as well as his political ideologies# which made him an important figure among the founders of the !merican revolutionary war" 0e inspired millions all over the world and became like a beacon of light for humans everywhere so they could be born with e/ual rights to life# liberty# and property" !merica would not be the same without him and his revolutionary ideas"