John Locke Social Contract Essay

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John Locke’s philosophies are characterized as one of the first forms of liberalism. His political thought was a source for the founding principles of the United States. Locke’s philosophies advocate liberty, equality and freedom from oppressive government. Yet, in The Second Treatise on Civil Government, Locke justifies the colonization and disempowerment of Native Americans and Africans in his discussions of freedom, property and slavery. In The Racial Contract, Charles W. Mills exposes the contradictions in Locke’s political and theoretical thought, particularly his deviation from the law of nature when it came to non-European people of color. According to John Locke the “State of Nature” is a state of complete liberty. This natural condition of mankind allows one to live life free from the interference of others; “No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions” (par. 6). He continues that as long as men do not invade each others rights and follow the Law of Nature, there will be peace. Charles W. Mills most compelling and resolving argument proving the racist overtones and undertones of Locke’s social contract is that the contract was not written for non-whites. The contract was …show more content…
Mills concludes that that only justification for slavery (and Locke must have justified slavery as he had investments in the slave-trading Royal Africa Company, the slaveholding Bahama Adventurers and assisted in writing the Constitution of the Carolinas, extending absolute power to the owners of African slaves) is that Locke did not see blacks as human and did not offer the privileges of his social contract outlines in The Second Treatise on Civil Government to non-whites. By this assertion Locke could condemn slavery and condone it

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