John Locke Flashcards
French revolution and American declaration of independence was influenced by whom?
John Locke
Books by John Locke
A letter concerning toleration
Two treaties of government (main)
An essay concerning human understanding
Some thoughts concerning education
John Locke’s view on human nature
Humans are god’s creation and hence cannot be naturally bad or wicked. God has given sentence of reason to humans by using which they are capable of living with decency, goodness, social inclination, and capability of self governing. Man or seeker of pleasure and avoid pain, also are self interested, but rational. Hence even without any political authority, men wearable to live somewhat in peace and harmony with others. Does we can say that Lok at a positive view about nature of men unlike Hobbes who had a very negative view of human nature
State of nature according to John Locke
Locke defined state of nature as human life and its condition without any supreme political authority. To him in any time event, today people may find themselves living in the state of nature. Since humans have godly sense of reason, they are able to live with somewhat in peace and harmony with others, even without supreme political authority . But such pieces, fragile, for everyone may interpret law of nature differently. Also, everyone becomes judge jury and executioner in their own case in cases involving others.
There’s Inconvenient and danger of war.
In the state of nature, each individual has full natural right, that is perfect freedom and equality, right to preserve his life, liberty and property, to interpret the law of nature and to judge and punish breaches of natural law. But such situation may lead to a very inconvenient social life.Thus , Locke head, somewhat positive, view about the state of nature
Who gave the notion of popular sovereignty
John Locke
Four problems in the state of nature according to John Locke
No known universal, standard Law- private interpretation of natural laws.
No impartial judge to settle disputes
No higher accepted power to enforce punishment for breach of law
Irrational , self interested, behaviours of few aggressive degenerate men
Explain locke’s social contract
People came out of state of nature through mutual agreement by surrendering their rights to be judged in their own case, and in case of others to a superior political authority by a way of contract among themselves. But they did not surrender their nature right to life, liberty and property.
2 step social contract- 1st step- Contract to Form community by pooling the power and vesting their rights, all consented unanimously to obey laws of the state form by the contract.
2nd step- the political community by majority, set up legislative and executive arms of government. Legislative, was to frame laws, confirming the laws of nature and was supreme and executive was to implement those laws in particular cases and was subordinate to legislative. It was a constitutional and limited govt
The government formed what is a limited government, head Main duty to protect the natural rights of the citizens, maintain law and order and secured people from external aggression.
The government is also party to the contract , so all provisions of contract are applicable to government too. Hence, government is to follow natural law and is not above law or absolute.
The community is permanent, not the government which can be dissolved and changed by the community who fails to protect the rights of life, liberty and property.
Sovereignty resides in the community expressed through its majority by the representative legislative. Lock was 1st to pronounce the concept of popular sovereignty.
His social contract theory became the foundation of modern, classical liberalism and liberal democracy. 
What type of government was there in locke’s social contract theory
Constitutional , representative and limited government
Who is the father of classical liberalism and capitalism ?
John Locke
Classical liberalism ideology
Primacy to individualism
Right to liberty, life and property, are natural and inviolable and prior to state
Support negative liberty
Limited or minimum government
Constitutional and representative government
Capitalism and free market economy
Why John Locke is considered as father of classical liberalism
His concept of constitutional, representative and limited government formed the core of classical liberalism.
Capitalism and free market economy , also emanates from locks, idea of nature of property and property rights. He raised the status of right to property to include like to life and liberty. He denied government the right to take away all redistribute properties.
Hiese conception of rights was absence of constraints are restrictions and activities of citizen . Thus right to liberty meant the government is not interfering in the domain of individual action. Still, they Are per law and not harming others. Thus locke supported negative freedom and negative rights which is the core of classical liberalism.
Locke’s political philosophy becomes a base or foundation of classical liberalism. Mainstay of classical liberalism.- institutionalise, nature, rights of life, liberty, and property, negative liberty, limited government, constitutional and representative government , capitalism and free market economy etc came out of locke’s political thought. His core believe that each individual has in alienable right to live life as per choices and preferences is the essence of classical liberalism
How did John Locke give moral foundation to classical liberalism?
He combine individualism, utilitarianism, and capitalism, with moral reasoning and theology to give a solid moral foundation to classical liberalism. Like Hobbes he also promoted possessive individualism, maybe even more than what Hobbes could do. He declared individual as creation of God possessing sense of reason given by God and have power to comprehend god’a command . Similarly, on property rights, he plays conditions to make it look morally correct . Though he has asserted that individual seek pleasure and avoid pain and hence promoted utilitarian ideology, but once again he linked all these to moral command of God . This he have moral foundation to ckassical liberalism
Locke’s theory of natural rights
Locke considered human as gods creation. God has created the world and humans are his beautiful most beautiful creations. Some rights to human have been given by nature as gods gift. Most important of these rights are the right to life, liberty and property.
Man by nature is given the inalienable rights to self preservation, to live life as he wishes without harming others and right to acquire property by mixing his enterprise and labour into the natural resources. Locke asserted that this nature of rights cannot be taken away by any political power or government.
Locke’s theory of natural rights is a kind of divine right given to individual as creation of God and therefore no institution created by humans can take away these rights .
Locke’s labour theory of property
Since people own their body and labour, and when they mix the labour with nature resources which is unowned , it becomes their property. Thus, property as fruits of labour. What ever one creates with his labour becomes his property.
3 principles of property according to John Locke
- One me only have as much property as one can use before it spoils.
- One must leave enough and good for others.
- One me only acquired property through one’s own labour.
- Also, one who owns property has a duty of charity to what dose who have no other means of subsistence.
