John Locke

Question 1

key ideas

Answer 1

1. social contract theory: society, state and gov are based on a voluntary agreement/contract. citizens obey the state’s law on the understanding that the state will guarantee them certain rights. if these rights aren’t upheld, then citizens are no longer obliged to obey.
2. limited gov: gov should be limited by a constituition’s rules and procedures, and be based on consent from below. the concept of limited gov rejected the arbitrary rule of medieval monarchs and the idea of ‘divine right’ to rule

Question 2

the state

Answer 2

• Locke did not accept the idea that the state’s authority came from God or that monarchs had a divine right to govern
• he argued that a legitimate state is established to serve the interests of the people and must operate based on their voluntary consent
• people are expected to obey the state only if it upholds their natural rights, such as life, liberty, and property
• if the state violates these rights, the people are entitled to resist or remove it
• Locke believed rational individuals would reject arbitrary rule and demand a government that serves their interests, not the other way around

Question 3

the state & limited gov

Answer 3

• Locke’s idea of the state is rooted in the concept of limited government, where the governed are guaranteed rights, and the government derives its authority from their consent
• to prevent overreach, the powers of the state should be divided among the executive, legislature, and judiciary
• Locke supported the right of people to remove an unjust government, influencing later democratic documents like the U.S. Declaration of Independence
• Locke advocated religious tolerance but excluded atheists from this principle
• he accepted property-based inequality and was not a democrat in the modern sense but emphasized checks on governmental power to protect individual freedoms