Two Treatises of Government

between the government and the citizens. Often, these theories would differ, but remain similar in nature, with an emphasis on the citizens having the natural rights to change the government if needed. However, the political theories of John Locke and Karl Marx and his colleague Friedrich Engels were vastly different in nature. Locke wrote his most famous work, Two Treatises of Government in 1869 during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe and focused on the social contract between the government…

of Nature is a concept by which philosophers are capable of developing varying or similar theories of government, or social contracts. These social contract theories allow us to better understand the course humanity takes and the reasoning behind this when forming a social contract to create a Sovereign body to rule over it. The two main social contract theorists are Locke and Hobbes. These two philosophers have written contrasting accounts of the social contract theory that land upon equally…

Two treatises of the government is one of the most inspiring and impacting essay of John Locke. The gist of both texts revolves around the notions of government origins and property. The first treatise criticizes Robert Filmer’s book (The Patriarcha) which argues in favor of a hereditary absolutist monarchy. John Locke believes all men have natural rights and the government's obligation is to protect them. Filmer’s patriarcha states that Adam governs his children and God is the leader of the…

John Locke was regarded as the “Father of Liberalism” for his ideas on freedom, limited government, and property rights. In the Second Treatise of Government, Locke lays the framework for a civilized society with based on natural rights and social contracts. One of his major premises states, “The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of nature for his rule.” It seems like Locke…

Philosophical Underpinnings of American Government The world we live in has been influenced by many people throughout time. The same goes for the United States government. The writings of influential historical figures still live on and affect how we run our world. Writings like The Second Treatise of Civil Government, The Spirit of the Laws, and The Social Contract, and their respective authors John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau are from the 1600s and 1700s, and those…

thinkers. In one of his major works, Treatises of Government, Locke put his revolutionary ideas into prospective; these ideas related to the natural rights of man and the social contract. In the Second Treatise of his book, Locke outlines the theory of the social contract by describing the state of nature making a picture for us that is more secure than the picture Hobbes provides. Locke argues that all men are created equal. According to his argument, governments are only legitimate if they…

While Rousseau’s argument makes a strong case for inequality, his reasoning is flawed. It is important to note that Rousseau is mainly concerned with two forms of inequality: natural inequality and moral inequality. While natural inequality is a result of physical differences and mental differences, including strength and intelligence, moral inequality occurs in civil society and includes inequalities in wealth and private property. It is important to note that Rousseau believes moral…

Who Should Hold Ultimate Authority? The Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes and Second Treatise of Government by John Locke were both written in times of governmental crisis. During Hobbes’ time, England was experiencing the Protestant Reformation. Approximately fifty years later, John Locke was attempting to demolish the Divine Right of Kings. The Second Treatise of Government is written to show support of a parliamentary system, so it is obvious why Locke would not support a king or sovereign ruling…

influence that he left on our world today. Locke’s ideas and writings contributed to the Enlightenment through his influence on people concerning his theory of knowledge, his political philosophy on the the importance of a people’s consent for their government, and his philosophy of education. Locke’s most prominent contribution to the Enlightenment comes from his thoughts and ideas on epistemology, in which he explores the limit of the human mind for knowledge and understanding. While there…

at some of his most prominent political ideas. John Locke is one of history’s most prominent purveyors of that elusive, desirable and dangerous thing – Liberty. I: Liber Liberalism, today, represents quite a wide spectrum of ideas about how governments and societies should look. You’ll find that someone like Noam Chomsky, whose views have roots in Classical Liberalism and the Enlightenment,…