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John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

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Human behavior is defined as the array of every physical action and observable emotion associated with individuals, as well as the human race as a whole. In other words, our behavior is influenced by our emotions towards the things around us and our own self-interest. The root of our self-interest stems from the set of value society places on possessions. With that said, humans cannot be trusted to be productive in society due to out innate behavior and greed
John Locke, an optimist during the Glorious Revolution, anonymously published the Second Treatise of Government in 1698; an essay that defines human rationality. The “state of nature” mentioned in this essay is a fantasy society where there is no government, perfect equality, and freedom. In this “state of nature” you live in solitary and depend on yourself to survive, but you also have an obligation to take care of others after you have preserved yourself. Staying in the …show more content…
Based off Locke’s theory, humanity’s natural instinct to make alliances and live in communities defies the ideals of the “state of nature”. This leads to people in powerful positions, such as government, becoming corrupt. Take President Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) for example, during his administration he was bribed in order to pass a policy concerning the Union Pacific Railroad company. Locke’s theory is expanded when taken in terms of monetary value. Once money is added into the equation, we are left with both positive and negatives outcomes in society as a whole. Positive outcomes being progression and economic growth, and negative outcomes being greed and corruption. This connects back to the idea of people in power, who will inevitably influence society toward negative outcomes. The greed and corruption in government can cause criminal behavior, which according to Locke’s theory, is breaking the law of nature (better known as human reason) which everyone must

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