John Locke Essay

John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone in Western political philosophy. The theory of government he presents in this particular document – that government is based on the sovereignty of the people – has been overwhelmingly influential since its publication in 1690. Before going further, however, it is necessary to understand the events from which the Second Treatise stems. As stated, this document was published in 1690, and it was done so anonymously. Two years prior to the publication, the highly unpopular King James II of England had been deposed – with no bloodshed whatsoever – and replaced by King William III and his wife, Queen Mary, who was a daughter of the deposed king. This event was known to history as the Glorious Revolution. Yet, when it occurred, Locke was not residing in England. However, he did have ties to the party that oversaw the Glorious Revolution – the Whigs. As a result of this relationship, Locke sought to justify the ascension of King William. Though the Second Treatise was written to justify the resistance that occurred to King Charles II, it was published to justify the Glorious Revolution. Locke’s Second Treatise begins with the premise that society is made up of free and equal individuals, all of whom are endowed with natural rights. He goes on to state that these same individuals will want to acquire possession, and most likely will engage in conflicts with one another. Therefore, he suggests that the natural law of morality be utilized to govern them. One major presumption made by Locke is the fact that, for a society to best protect itself and its property, the individuals within that society must join together and form a body politic, in which they agree to adhere to certain standards of behavior. To accomplish this, they must give up some of their natural rights. As history has since demonstrated, the giving up of natural rights has not always been met with a good response, as in the case of the American Civil War, where states’ rights was a major underlying cause. Within this civil society, the people must submit what they consider to be natural freedoms to the common law of that society. In return, they receive the protection of their government. An executive power – i.e. president – is given the authority to enforce the laws of the government, punishing any that break those laws. However, should the power held by the executive or other officials within the government fail to live up to their responsibilities, the people have the right and the responsibility to rebel against that government. Once they have rebelled against it, if they are successful in removing it, they must replace it with one that will abide by the laws set up for the smooth running of their society. It is this last concept that proves to be the crux of Locke’s document. It was what served as his motivation to write the Second Treatise. He wanted the British to understand they had the right to replace one government with another. It would be this concept that would serve as one of the underlying philosophies that would inspire revolutions in both America and France, as well as the documents on which America was founded on: the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. The various ideas presented in the Second Treatise – limited government based on natural rights and human dignity, unlimited personal property based on those same natural rights – are what make this document a superbly constructed argument against the concept of absolutism. Thus, it remains a most influential work within the realm of political philosophy, and within history in general.