John Locke Social Contract Analysis

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On one hand, John Locke believed that the state of nature is unsatisfactory, the government was therefore formed by social contract since people agree to transfer some of their rights to a centralized government in order to secure enjoyment of their properties. (Locke, 1764) Obviously, the formation of the American government is an example to illustrate Locke’s idea.

The United States government derives its legitimacy and legal authority from the consent of the majority American’s founders who transfer some of their rights to the government through establishing the United States Constitution in 18th centuries, while the Americans can still propose any reasonable amendment upon the Constitution. The US Constitution clearly delineated the national framework of government, including providing protection of life and property like natural rights to life, liberty and estate of the Americans, formulating the doctrine of the separation of powers and identifying the rights and responsibilities of state governments. For instance, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution stated clearly that the individual liberty and rights should be guaranteed by the government and without any interference, including freedoms of religion, expression and petition, which guarantee Americans possess right to hold different religious beliefs freely, and the
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As what Locke regarded the social contract is revocable, Chinese people have the responsibility and right to overthrow this kind of authoritarian government who abuse its power to oppress the individual’s human rights. Due to the increasingly aware of the legal rights, and with the advance of emerging networks of lawyers and journalists, here is time for Chinese people united together to think about which type of government they want and how to institute a new Government with better protection for their life and

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